UC-NRLF 


SUGGESTIONS 


MILITARY  RIFLEMEN 


BY 

LIEUT.  TOWNSEND  WHELEN, 
0;  Sc  A, 


SECOND  EDITION— REVISED. 

SUGGESTIONS 


TO 


Military  Riflemen 


BY 
LIEUTENANT  TOWNSEND  WHELEN, 

29th  Infantry  United  States  Army. 

Winner  of  the  Army  Competitions,  1903. 

Coach  of  the  U.  S.  Army  Infantry  Team,  1905. 

Member  of  the  U.  S.  Infantry  National  Team,  1903,    1906, 

and  1907. 

Formerly  Range  Officer,  First  Brigade,  National  Guard 
of  Ponnsyh  ania. 


1909: 

FRANKLIN  HUDSON  PUBLISHING  Co., 
KANSAS  CITY,  Mo. 


Copyright  by 

FRANKLIN  HUDSON  PUBLISHING  Co. 
1909 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

INTRODUCTION     7 

CHAPTER  I.    The  Selection  of  an  Accurate  Rifle..  13 
II.    The  Care  of  the  Rifle 22 

III.  The  Firing  Positions 35 

IV.  Holding  and  Pulling  the  Trigger 57 

V.  Position  and  Aiming  Drills 65 

VI.  Gallery  Practice  and  Calling  the  Shot  71 

VII.  The  Sights  and  Their  Adjustment...   80 

VIII.  Elevation  and  Zero 98 

IX.    Windage  and  Winds 105 

X.     Mirage,   Light,  anJ  Atmosphere 112 

XI.  The  Score-Book 128 

XII.  Slow  Fire    14  A 

XIII.  Rapid  Fire   149 

XIV.  Skirmish   154 

XV.    Long  Range 175 

XVI.  Service  Ammunition 183 

XVII.  Mid-  and  Short-Range  Ammunition .  194 
XVIII.     Company  and  Team  Practic- 202 

XIX.    The  Riflemen  on  the  Battlefield 226 

XX.     The  Eyes 235 


349648 


LIST  OF  WORKS  CONSULTED. 


Arms  and  the  Man,  Periodical. 

Firing  Regulations  for  Small-Arms,  : . 

Guns,    Ammunition   and   Tackle,    Kephart   and 

Carlin. 

Infantry  Fire,  Batchelor. 

Ideal  Handbook,  Ideal  Manufacturing  Company. 
Journal   -of    the    Military    Service    Institution, 

Periodical. 
Journal    of    the    U.    $.    Infantry    Association, 

Periodical. 

Modern  American  Rifles,  Gould. 
Modern  Rifle-Shooting,  Hudson.  •' 
Modern  Rifle-Shooting,  Tippins. 
Manual  for  Rifle  Practice,  Wingate. 
Reports  of  the  Chief  of  Ordnance,  -        — . 
Sharpshooting  for  Sport  and  War,  Greener. 
Small-Arms  Firing  Regulations,  Blunt. 
Shooting  and  Fishing,   Periodical. 
School  of  the  Krag,   Foulke. 
The  Military  Gallery  Range,  Bell. 
The  Book  of  the  Rifle,  Fremantle. 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  the  days  of  the  old  Springfield  rifle  Blunfs 
Firing  Regulations  contained  an  excellent  chap- 
ter  entitled  "Suggestions  to  Riflemen."  This 
work,  a  most  excellent  one,  was  widely  consulted 
and  assisted  to  a  large  extent  in  improving  the 
marksmanship  in  the  Army.  To-day,  however, 
rifle-firing  has  reached  such  a  science  that  it  is 
imposisible  to  burden  our  Firing  Regulations  with 
this  subject.  The  need  of  such  information  and 
knowledge  in  the  Service  is  greater  than  ever, 
and  the  desire  for  it  expressed  tjo  me  by  many 
officers  of  the  regular  Army  and  National  Guard 
has  induced  me  toi  undertake  this  work.  While 
the  great  part  of  it  is  compiled  from  my  own 
experience,  I  have  consulted  practically  all  the 
modern  writings  on  the  subject  obtainable  in  my 
endeavors  to  present  to  the  reader  everything  on 
the  subject  of  any  practical  value. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the  rifle,  for  I 
do  not  care  to  take  up  the  space  necessary.  The 
best  description  of  it  will  be  found  in  a  pamphlet 

fr 


8  Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

entitled  "Description  and  Rules  for  the  Man- 
agement of  the  U.  S.  Magazine  Rifle,  Model 
1903."  Nor  will^any  of  the  data  which  is  con- 
tained in  the  Firing  Regulations  for  Small- 
Arma,  other  that  that  which  is  absolutely  nec- 
essary to  make  the  text  clear,  appear  in  these 
pages.  A  knowledge  of  the  contents  of  both 
these  works  is  necessary  to  a  clear  understanding 
of  what  is  to  fallow.  The  reader  is  referred  to 
any  of  the  standard  works  on  ballistics  for  the 
scientific  part  of  rifle-shooting,  as  I  shall  take  up 
only  the  practical  side  of  the  subject,  it  being  my 
intjentiqn  to  give  fully  that  information  which  the 
marksman  and  the  instructor  need  to  shoot  and 
to  teach  on  the  range  and  battle-field. 

The  text  of  this  work  refers  only  to  the  U. 
S.  Magazine  Rifle,  Cal.  30,  Model  1903,  cham- 
bered for  the  Model  1906  ammunition,  popular- 
ly known  as  the  "New  Springfield."  The  U.  S. 
Magazine  Rifle,  Cal.  30,  Model  1898  (Krag-Jof- 
gensen),  which  is  still  in  use  in  the  Military 
Schools  and  in  the  hands  of  many  civilian  rifle- 
men, has  been  thoroughly  covered  in  the  part  of 
the  Appendix  relating  to  it.  The  general  re- 
marks throughout  the  book  will  pertain  equally 
to  both  rifles. 

Riflef-shooting,  as  a  science,  is  advancing  with 
such  rapidity  that  it  would  seem  that  no  sooner 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.          9 

is  a  work  published  on  the  subject  than  it  be- 
comes obsolete.  This  is  particularly  true  of  the 
last  five  years,  during  which  time  great  advances 
have  been  made,  both  in  arms  and  ammunition 
and  in  the  skill  of  our  riflemen,  thus  adding 
greatly  to  the  strength  of  the  Nation.  I  should 
like  here  to  give  credit  for  this  to  the  National 
Rifle  Association,  for  their  energetic  work  of 
promoting  and  encouraging  rifle-shooting  in  the 
National  Guard  and  among  the  citizens  through- 
out the  United  States;  to  every  officer  in  our 
regular  Service,  for  their  great  interest  and 
painstaking  work  in  developing  marksmanship 
in  the  Army;  and  to  the  Ordnance  Department 
of  the  Army,  for  so  ably  perfecting  and  giving 
to  us  an  arm  which  this  year  has  clearly  proved 
Stself  to  be  the  best  in  the  world. 

As  our  skill  with  the  rifle  progresses  our 
Small-Arms  Firing  Regulations  must  of  neces- 
sity change  also  to  keep  pace.  Several  years  ago 
the  looo-yard  range  was  considered  an  extreme- 
ly difficult  one.  To-day  it  is  so  easy  that  we  can 
with  profit  move  back  to  longer  ranges.  As 
this  edition  goes)  to  press  a  board  of  officers  is 
at  work  on  a  revision  of  the  Small-Arms  Firing 
Regulations,  but  itt  is  not  thought  necessary  to 
await  the  publication  of  their  work.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  book  is  not  so  much  to  teach  men 


io         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

to  qualify  in  the  higher  grades  of  marksman- 
ship and  to  wiin  competitions,  as  it  is  to  teach 
those  principles  of  gtood  shooting  which  will 
enable  men  to  make  the  largest  proportion  of 
hits  under  battl/e  conditions.  There  is  a  tend- 
ency now  to  make  shooting  conditions  more 
practical ;  to  restrict  shooting  at  bull's-eye  targets 
to  the  beginner  and  to  the  finished  marksman 
learning  the  shooting  peculiarities  of  a  new  rifle 
or  a  new  ammunition.  Advance  practice  will 
consist  in  firing  at  targets  which  in  their  appear- 
ance, the  time  they  are  in  sight,  and  their  move- 
ments will  approximate  as  nearly  as  possible  an 
enemy  on  the  battlefield.  And  this  is  decidedly 
a  move  in  the  right  direction.  For  such  shoot- 
ing no  absolute  rule  can  be  laid  down.  The 
principles  of  good  shooting,  well  grounded,  and 
a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  rifle  are  what  is 
needed. 

In  order  to  make  the  book  of  practical  work- 
ing value,  I  have  given  the  addresses  where  var- 
ious preparations!  and  devices  can  be  obtained. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work  I  am  greatly 
indebted  to  many  officers  of  the  regular  Service 
for  valuable  suggestions,  and  particularly  to  Dr. 
Walter  G.  Hudson,  not  only  for  the  knowledge 
gained  from  his  many,  writings  on  the  subject, 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         n 

but  also  for  kind  suggestions  regarding  the  re- 
vision of  the  book. 

It  is  my  hope  that  L  have  given  to  the  Serv- 
ice something  which  officers  and  individuals  will 
care  to  study  and  to  carry  to  the  range  with  them. 

TOWNS^ND 
Fort  William  McKinley, 

Philippine  Islands,  1909. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  SELECTION  OF  AN  ACCURATE 

The  manufacture  of  our  army  rifle  has  reach- 
ed such  a  degree  of  perfection  that  one  would 
be  almost  safe  in  saying  that  all  new  rifles  are 
accurate.  Some  will  be  found  a  little  more  so 
than  others ;  some  will  be  found  which  will  re- 
tain their  accuracy  for  a  greater  number  of 
rounds  than  usual,  and  once  in  a  great  while  one 
will  be  found  which  will  not  do  justice  to  the 
holding  of  an  expert  shot  and  which  will  become 
inaccurate  quickly.  In  order  to  do  good  shoot- 
ing, it  is  necessary  that  one  should  have  confi- 
dence in  his  rifle ;  and  in  order  that  we  may  cast 
aside  the  inaccurate  and  quick-wearing  rifles  for 
expert  work,  and  also  that  we  may  have  a  knowl- 
edge of  what  constitutes  a  go,od-shooting,  long- 
lived  arm,  the  knowledge  of  how  to  select  an  ac- 
curate rifle  is  necessary. 

The  only  infallible  way  of  choosing  an  ac- 
curate rifle  is  to  have  it  shot  from  a  machine 
rest  (vise),  at  1000  yards,  on  a  perfect  day,  by 

—13— 


14         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

an  expert.  But  a  rifle  selected  in  this  way  only, 
with  no  reference  to  size  of  bore,  is  risky,  as,  if 
the  bofe  is  large,  its  fine  shooting  qualities  will 
very  quickly  vanish.  There  are  certain  charac- 
teristics or  "ear-marks"  which  all  good  rifles 
have,  and  with  a  knowledge  of  these  and  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  skill  in  determining  them  a  rifle 
may  be  selected  with  almost  a  certainty  that  it 
will  perform  well  at  the  target  at  long  range. 

In  selecting  a  rifle  the  points  to  be  observed 
are :  the  muzzle,  the  bore,  and  the  stock. 

The  muzzle  should  be  bright,  free  from  rust 
and  any  injury  or  burr.  The  lands  and  grooves 
should  be  cleanly  and  sharply  cut  right  up  to 
their  end.  Examine  the  muzzle  under  a  mag- 
nifying-glass.  The  dulling  or  rounding  of  the 
square  edges  of  the  lands  and  grooves  by  the 
cleaning-rod  or  thong  should  be  especially 
looked  for,  as  this  is  the  principal  defect  in  the 
muzzles  of  rifles  which  have  been  in  the  hands 
of  troops  for  any  length  of  time.  Any  of  these 
defects,  and  particularly  the  latter,  should  be  a 
cause  for  instant  rejection.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  muzzle  of  the  rifle  is  its  most 
delicate  and  important  part,  for  any  injury  or 
wear  to  it  will  allow  the  powder  gas  to  escape 
on  one  side  of  the  base  of  the  bullet  before  the 
other  at  the  instant  that  the  base  of  the  bullet 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         15 

leaves  the  barrel.  Thus  the  gas  first  escaping 
will  cause  the  bullet  to  tip  from  its  correct  line 
of  departure  and  make  the  flight  unsteady.  Ev- 
erything depends  on  perfect  delivery  of  the  bul- 
let point  on. 

The  rifle  is  first  smooth-bored  .300  inch  in 
diameter  and  is  then  rifled  .004  inch  deep,  mak- 
ing the  measurements  of  the  bore  from  the 
bottom  of  one  groove  to  the  bottom  of  the  op- 
posite groove  .308  inch.  Owing,  however,  to 
the  speed  of  manufacture,  lack  of  homogeneity 
in  the  barrel  sjteel,  and  the  wear  of  the  tools, 
barrels  will  vary  in  their  diameter  from  .307 
iinch  to  .310  inch,  and  some  of  them  will  be 
large  (loose)  in  one  place  and  small  (tight)  in 
another  place  throughout  their  length.  To  be 
accurate  and  have  long-wearing  qualities,  the 
barrel  should  measure  from  the  bottom  of  one 
groove  to  the  bottom  of  the  opposite  groove 
not  more  than  .3085  inch  nor  less  than  .30775 
inch,  and  there  should  be  no  large  or  small 
places — i.  e.,  it  should  be  a  perfect  cylinder  or 
else  it  should  be  a  trifle  smaller  at  the  muzzle 
than  breech,  with  a  smooth,  even  taper  the  entire 
distance.  The  ideal  barrel  would  measure  .30825 
at  the  breech  and  .308  at  the  muzzle. 

The  measuring  of  the  interior  of  a  rifle  barrel 
is  not  so  difficult  as  it  appears,  and  anyone  can 


1 6         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

become  fairly  expert  at  it  in  twenty  or  thirty 
trials.  The  implements  necessary  are  a  Brown 
&  Sharped  micrometer  calipers,  measuring  to 
thousandths  of  an  inch  an  object  i  inch  or  small- 
er, which  can  be  obtained  from  any  first-class 
hardware  store;  a  cleaning-rod  36  inches  long 
(40  inches  for  the  Krag)  and  a  quantity  of  soft 
lead  conical  bullets  measuring  .313  inch.*  The 
cleaning-rod  should  be  made  of  }4~*nch  steel  or 
brass  by  any  gunsmith. 

The  barrel  of  the  rifle  is  first  made  absolutely 
clean  and  then  oiled  slightly  with  a  thin  gun  oil 
similar  to  "3  in  i."  Now  place  the  rifle  with  the 
muzzle  resting  on  a  wrood  floor,  barrel  vertical, 
bolt  removed,  and  drop  a  bullet,  point  first,  into 
the  chamber  so  it  will  rest  against  the  rifling 
at  the  throat  of  the  chamber.  With  the  end  of 
the  cleaning-rod  hammer  it  about  an  inch  into 
the  rifling.  This  expands  the  bullet  to  fill  the 
grooves  of  the  rifling  perfectly.  Grasp  the  clean- 
ing-rod by  the  end  and  with  a  steady,  powerful 
motion  push  the  bullet  through  the  barrel  un- 
til it  rests  in  the  muzzle  against  the  floor.  Do 
not  allow  the  bullet  to  stop  in  its  passage.  It 

*The  best  bullets  are  those  for  the  .32-20  Winches- 
ter Center  Fire  Cartridge,  which  can  be  obtained  in  lots 
of  1,000  from  the  Winchester  Repeating  Arms  Co.,  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  or  throhgh  any  sporting  goods  dealer. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         17 

will  take  considerable  force  to  start  it.  As  it  is 
passing  through  try  to  determine  by  the  resist- 
ance offered  to  the  pressure  the  presence  of  any 
tight,  loose,  or  rough  places  and  their  location. 
This  will  come  quickly  with  practice. 

Now  reverse  the  rifle  and  with  the  cleaning- 
rod  still  in  the  barrel,  the  right  hand  holding  the 
cleaning-rod  and  the  left  hand  holding  the  muz- 
zle, tap  the  base  of  the  bullet  gently  with  the 
rod  until  the  point  protrudes  from  the  muzzle 
and  only  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  of  the  bul- 
let remains  in  the  rifling.  Grasp  the  point  of 
the  bullet  very  lightly  with  the  fingers  and  try 
by  very  light  side  pressiure  to  move  it.  If  it  re- 
mains; immovable,  it  is  a  sign  of  a  good  tight 
muzzle,  which  is  very  desirable.  Very  gently 
tap  the  bullet  out  of  the  barrel,  being  careful  to 
catch  it  in  the  fingers  and  prevent  any  injury. 
Wipe  the  surplus  oil  off  carefully  and  measure 
its  largest  diameter  near  the  base  with  the  mi- 
crometer calipers.  The  points  at  which  the  cal- 
ipers should  touch  the  bullet  are  the  projections 
on  the  bullet  which  have  been  riding  on  the 
center  of  the  grooves  of  the  barrel.  In  using 
the  calipers  be  sure  that  the  contact  points  are 
perfectly  clean  and  use  no  force  in  screwing  up 
for  measurement.  This  measurement  will  give 
you  the  smallest  diameter  in  the  barrel,  meas- 


1 8         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

uring  from  the  bottom  of  one  groove  to  the 
bottom  of  the  opposite.  If  this  is  over  .3085 
inch  or  under  .30775  inch,  or  if  there  are  loose 
places  near  the  muzzle,  tight  places  near  the 
breech,  or  very  rough  places  anywhere,  discard 
the  gun  for  expert  use.  Note  that  it  is  often 
very  hard  to  start  the  bullet  traveling  through 
the  barrel,  and  do  not  confuse  this  with  a  tight 
place  near  the  breech. 

Supposing  the  gun  has  passed  this  test,  we 
should  next  measure  the  breech  and  muzzle.  To 
measure  the  breech,  insert  a  bullet  i  inch  into  the 
rifling  as  before  and  then  enter  the  cleaning-rod 
in  the  muzzle  and  drive  it  out  gently,  being  sure 
ito  catch  it  in  the  fingers  as  it  leaves  the  cham- 
ber to  prevent  injury;  then  measure.  To  meas- 
ure the  muzzle,  force  the  bullet  clear  through  the 
barrel  to  the  muzzle  as  in  the  first  instance,  then 
rest  the  muzzle  on  the  wood  floor  and  with  the 
cleaning-rod  pound  the  base  of  the  bullet  until 
you  are  sure  it  is  expanded  to  the  muzzle  size ; 
then  drive  out  carefully  and  measure. 

It  is  not  to  be  understood  that  rifles  which  do 
not  pass  this  test  are  not  accurate  enough  for 
target  work.  It  is  very  rare  indeed  that  a  poor- 
shooting  rifle  gets  past  the  inspectors.  For  the 
use  of  experts  and  competitors,  however,  the 
rifle  should  pass  these  tests,  as  the  rifle  doing 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         19 

so  will  be  the  most  accurate  and  have  the  long- 
est life.  Generally  speaking,  a  rifle  barrel  meas- 
ulring  over  .309  inch  will  not  satisfy  a  good  shot 
in  the  size  of  its  shot  groups  and  in  its  wearing 
qualities,  and  one  as  large  as  .310  is  apt  to  shoot 
rather  poorly ;  but,  as  I  have  said,  these  are  few 
and  far  between.  The  reasons  for  discarding 
rifles  of  these  diameters  will  be  treated  fully  in 
the  chapter  on  "Ammunition/'  This  method  of 
choosing  a  rifle  is  not  infallible,  for  a  rifle  may 
pass  all  these  tests  and  yet  not  be  bored  straight  ; 
but  I  have  never  yet  found  such  a  one. 

Instead  of  forcing  the  bullet  though  the  bar- 
rel by  the  pressure  of  the  hand  in  gauging,  some 
riflemen  prefer  to  drive  it  through  by  blows  on 
the  end  of  the  cleaning-rod,  delivered  with  a 
hammer.  The  blow  is  struck  so  as  to  drive  the 
bullet  through  about  half  an  inch  of  barrel  at 
each  blow,  and  any  tight,  loose,  or  rough  places 
in  the  bore  are  quickly  noticed  by  the  varying 
resistance  to  the  blow  of  the  hammer  and  the 
distance  which  the  bullet  travels  each  blow. 
Care  should  be  taken  that  the  blows  of  the  ham- 
mer are  as  nearly  as  possible  of  the  same  energy. 

Having  found  a  good  banrel,  be  sure  that  the 
stock  is  of  the  best.  The  stock  should  be  well 
seasoned  and  the  grain  of  the  fore  part  under 
the  barrel  should  run  parallel  with  the  barrel; 


2O        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

otherwise,  if  the  stock  warps  from  moisture,  it 
will  pull  and  press  unevenly  on  the  barrel  and 
change  the  shooting  of  the  piece.  As  the  bar- 
rel heats  up  from  firing  it  will  increase  in  length, 
the  average  increase  during  a  skirmish  run  be- 
ing .02  inch;  and  if  the  bands  which  bind  the 
stock  to  the  barrel  are  very  tight  and  retard 
this  expansion,  the  barrel  will  actually  buckle  or 
bend;  thus  as  the  gun  heats  up  the  bullets  will 
either  fly  higher  or  lower,  generally  the  latter. 
Allowance  has  been  made  in  the  fitting  of  the 
bands  to  allow  the  barrel  to  expand  freely,  but 
often  a  stock  and  hand-guard  will  swell  from 
moisture,  particularly  in  a  damp  climate  like  the 
Philippine  Islands.  If  such  has  occurred,  the 
stock  and  hand-guard  should  be  removed  and 
the  surfaces  where  they  come  in  contact  with 
the  barrel  and  upper  band  should  be  slightly 
smoothed  down  with  sand-paper  so  that  the  bar- 
rel will  be  free  to  expand,  and  the  upper  band 
will  go  back  to  its  place  by  the  pressure  of  the 
hand  alone.  This  should  be  done  only  when 
necessarv  and  should  not  be  carried  too  far,  as 
the  stock  and  hand-euard  should  give  firm  and 
even  support  to  the  barrel  to  enable  it  to  do  the 
most  regular  work.  It  is  not  believed  that  this 
treatment  is  regarded  as  a  violation  of  Para- 
graph 287,  Army  Regulations,  which  prohibits 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         21 

the  mutilation  of  any  part  of  a  rifle  by  riling  or 
otherwise.  Enlisted  men  desiring  to  take  their 
rifles  apart  should  obtain  the  permission  of  a 
commissioned  officer. 

If  the  trigger  pull  does  not  suit  you,  do  not 
attempt  to  alter  it  by  grinding  down  the  sear 
nose  and  sear  notch,  as  I  have  seen  many  do. 
This  is  very  dangerous,  often  causing  premature 
discharges ;  and  besides,  it  is  a  distinct  violation 
of  the  above-mentioned  paragraph,  and  render* 
one's  rifle  liable  to  be  disqualified  at  any  tiir*. 
Instead  try  placing  other  firing-pins  in  your  bolt, 
and  you  will  quickly  find  one  which  will  give 
a  good,  clean  pull  without  drag  or  grate.  With 
the  majority  of  rifles  the  pull  is  satisfactory  as 
issued.  The  minimum  pull  allowed  by  regula- 
tions is  three  pounds,  and  is  tested  by  applying 
the  weight  to  the  middle  of  the  trigger  so  that 
the  pull  will  come  in  a  line  parallel  to  the  barrel 
of  the  rifle.  It  is  not  really  desirable  to  have 
the  pull  approach  the  minimum  in  weight.  A 
clean  pull  of  five  pounds  feels  lighter  to  the 
finger  than  one  of  three  pounds  containing  a 
drag. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  CARE:  OF  THE 

A  i)ifle  requires  a  large  amount  of  care  to 
keep  it  in  perfect  condition.  More  rifles  in  the 
hands  of  troops  are  injured  by  cleaning  and  by 
the  lack  of  proper  cleaning  than  in  any  other 
way.  In  the  days  of  black  powder  all  that  was 
necessary  was  to  wipe  out  the  powder  dirt  with 
water  and  rags,  dry  the  bore,  and  apply  oil ;  but 
such  treatment,  or,  rather,  lack  of  treatment, 
would  ruin  one  of  our  present  rifles  in  about 
three  days.  The  proper  cleaning  of  a  modern 
rifle  is  a  complicated  chemical  process,  and  this 
must  be  realized  if  one  wishes  the  good  shoot- 
ing qualities  of  his  piece  to  last  for  more  than  a 
few  days.  I  have  seen  many  rifles  which  after 
a  week's  use  on  the  range  were  absolutely  use- 
less for  good  shooting,  being  pitted,  rusted,  and 
filled  with  an  accumulation  of  cupro-nickel ; 
and  I  have  also  seen  thousands  of  rifles  which 
were  bright,  clean  and  free  from  rust,  but 
which  were  absolutely  useless  for  accurate  work 
—22— 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         z$ 

from  having  been  cleaned  from  the  muzzle.  If 
a  rifle  is  cleaned  from  the  muzzle,  it  takes  only 
a  few  days  for  the  cleaning-rod  to  dull  the  muz- 
zle, and  then  the  gun  begins  to  scatter.  The  rea- 
son for  this  has  been  given  in  the  previous  chap- 
ter. A  "pull  through"  or  thong,  if  used  right 
(that  is,  inserted  in  the  muzzle  and  pulled  through 
to  the  breech),  does  not  injure  the  muzzle ;  but  it 
is  a  very  hard  and  tedious  -process  to  clean  a  rifle 
thoroughly  with  a  thong.  Moreover,  the  thong 
is  liable  to  break,  and  of  all  obstructions  in  the 
barrel  a  broken  thong  is  the  hardest  to  get  out. 
The  only  safe  way  of  cleaning  is  from  the  breech 
with  a  long  cleaning-rod.  This1,  rod  should  be 
36  inches  long  and  made  of  %-mch  tool  steel 
or  brass,  with  a  tip  like  the  cut.  The  expert 
shot  prefers  a  steel  rod,  because  experience 
proves  that  dirt  will  sitick  to  the  softer  metal 
and  cut  into  the  harder.  For  a  company, 
however,  brass  is  best,  for.  with  inexperienced 
men  the  time  will  come  when  one  of  them 
will  get  a  rag  and  rod  stuck  in  the  barrel, 
and  in  a  case  like  this  the  steel  rod  may  injure 
the  barrel  while  being  removed.  For  cleaning 
use  preferably  Canton  flannel  patches  about  an 
inch  square,  the  exact  size  to  be  determined  by 
experiment.  The  rags  should  not  fit  the  bar- 
rel very  tightly,  and  no  great  force  should  be 


24        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

necessary  to  push  them  through  or  pull  them 
back.  This  is  important.  Also  be  sure  not  to 
use  damp  rags  or  jrags  of  poor  or  thin  cloth  that 
the  point  of  the  rod  may  puncture.  A  rag  stuck 
in  the  barrel  is  a  very  dangerous  thing  for  the 
piece. 

To  clean  a  rifle,  r/emove  the  bolt,  place  the 
muzzle  on  the  floor,  barrel  vertical,  and  never  re- 
move the  muzzle  from  the  floor;.  Place  a  patch 
in  the  bolt  well  and  with  the  little  finger  center  it 
down  over  the  chambeir,  then  center  it  with  the 
point  of  the  rtod,  push  it  down  to  the  floor,  and 
pull  it  back,  working  it  up  or  down  tour  or  five 
times;.  This  will  clean  all  the  bore  except  about 
an  eighth  of  an  inch  of  thejmuzzle  end.  To  clean 
this,  use  a  patch  on  a  pointed  pine  stick,  and 
with  the  same  stick  clean  the  chamber. 

The  fouling  caused  by  the  service  cartridge 
may  be  divided  under  three  heads. 

First,  a  black  carbon  fouling.  This  is  easily 
sieen,  and  one  or  two  rags  will  wipe  it  out,  when 
the  barrel  appears  clean ;  but  look,  out,  for  it  is 
not,  and  if  the  cleaning  progresses  no  farther 
than  this,  the  barrel  will  be  so  pitted  and  rusted 
in  a  day  or  two  as  to  be  ruined. 

Second,  a  siticky  and  almost  transparent  foul- 
ing. This  is  very  acid  in  its  action,  through  the 
incorporation  in  it  of  the  products  of  the  primer 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         25 


FIGURE  2. 

Tip  of  the  Cleaning-Rod. 


26        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

combustion,  and  will  soon  set  up  rust  if  not  re- 
moved. It  is  almost  proof  against  water  or  oil, 
sticks  very  tenaciously  to  the  bore,  and  is  actual- 
ly driven  into  the  pores  of  the  metal,  sweating 
out  to  the  surface  gradually  for  several  days 
after  firing.  This  explains  why  rifles,  cleaned 
in  the  ordinaify  way  after  firing,  are  found  sev- 
eral days  afterward  dirty  and  rusty  inside.  To 
remove  it,  some  alkaline  cleaning  solution  is 
necessary.  I  mention  a  number  of  efficient  ones 
^n  order  that  you  may  choose  the  one  most  con- 
venient or  the  one  easiest  obtainable  in  an  out- 
of-the-way  place. 

In  the  field  boiling  water  poured  through  the 
barrel  will  do  in  a  pinch.  Remove  the  bolt  and 
magazine  floor  plate,  spring  and  follower,  and 
look  out  for  -the  stock,  hand-guard,  and  sights; 
then  dry  thoroughly.  This  is  not  very  efficient, 
however.  A  saturated  solution  of  sal-soda  and 
water  is  good.  This  is  very  alkaline  and  must  be 
removed  and  the  bone  dried  immediately  after 
use.  Sal-soda  is  provided  by  the  Ordnance  De- 
partment fo>r  the  purpose,  and  may  be  procured 
therefrom  by  a  company  on  approved  requisition. 
Aqua  ammonia  containing  28  per  cent  gas  is  ex- 
cellent, but  it  also  must  he  removed  from  the 
bore  immediately  after  usie.  The  best  prepara- 
tion found  so  far,  however,  is  a  liquid  termed 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         27 

Powder)  Solvent  No.  9,  prepared  and  sold  by 
Frank  A.  Hoppe,  1741  North  Darien  Street, 
Philadelphia.  Many  riflemen  also  use  a  solution 
devised  by  Dr.  W.  G.  Hudson,  composed  as 
follows : 

Kerosene  oil,  free  from  acid,  2  ounces ; 

Sperm  oil,  i  ounce; 

Turpentine,  i  ounce; 

Acetone,  i  ounce. 

These  last  two  preparations  may  be  left  in  the 
bore  (being  fairly  good  rust-preventatives)  for  a 
day  or  two  after  applying*.  When  shooting  the 
rifle  daily,  I  prefer  after  cleaning  to  pass  a  rag 
wet  with,  Powder  Solvent  No.  9  through  the 
bore.  It  seems  to  neutralize  any  acid  fouling 
which  may  sweat  out  of  the  por'es  of  the  metal 
over  night,  and  is  easily  removed  from  the  bore 
the  next  morning  with  a  few  patches,  making 
the  use  of  gasoline  or  chloroform  unnecessary. 
When  a  gun  has  not  been  cleaned  for  forty-eight 
hours  and  a  clean  patch  pushed  through  comes 
out  clean,  then  the  gun  may  be  oiled  with  cosmic 
oil  and  put  away  with  safety. 

Third,  metal  fouling,  sometimes  called  cupro- 
nickel  fouling  or  nickeling.  This  consists  of 
particles  of  the  cupro-nickel  jacket  of  the  bullet, 
and  is  welded  to  the  k>fe  by  the  heat  and  pres- 
sure. In  the  muzzle  half  of  the  barrel  it  appears 


2&        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

in  the  form  of  small  lumps  or  flakes  clearly  dis- 
cernible to  the  eye.  In  the  breech  half  it  is  more 
like  a  thin  plating  or  wash,  It  occurs  more  in 
roughly  bored  barrels  than  in  smooth  ones,  stick- 
ing tightly  to  the  rough  places ;  also  more  in  bar- 
rels that  have  been  fired  considerably  than  in  new 
ones.  It  is  really  an  obstruction  to  the  bore,  and 
accumulates  more  and  more  with  every  shot,  so 
that  after  about  fifty  shots  the  rifle  may  change 
its  elevation  and  zero  considerably,  and  in  ag- 
gravated cases  it  will  greatly  enlarge  the  shot 
group.  When  deposited,  it  imprisons  the  acid 
fouling  under  it,  and  as;in  this  case  the  ordinary 
cleaning  solutions  cannot  get  at  the  latter  foul- 
ing, it  follows  that  a  barrel  not  cleaned  regularly 
from  metal  fouling  will  become  pitted  under  that 
fouling.  This  metal  fouling  should  be  removed 
about  every  fifty  rounds  with  the  nickel  fouling 
solution,  in  order  to  get  the  best  work  from  the 
barrel.  For  the  proper  preservation  of  the  rifle, 
it  should  certainly  be  removed  every  evening 
after  firing  has  ceased. 

We  now  come  to 

THE  PROPER  METHOD  OF  CLEANING. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  firing,  clean  the  bore 
with  any  of  the  solutions  mentioned  under  "acid 
fouling"  and  dry  with  clean  patches.  If  the  bar- 
rel is  still  hot,  put  it  one  side  until  it  cools  be- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         29 

fore  proceeding  further.  Then  place  a  rubber 
cork  in  the  chamber  and  a  rubber  tube  several 
inches  long  over  the  muzzle.  Then  stand  the 
rifle  upright  and  fill  the  bore,  covering  the  muz- 
zle, with  the  metal  fouling  solution,  the  formula 
for  which  is  as  follows : 

Ammonia  persulphate,  i  ounce ; 

Ammonia  carbonate,  200  grains  ; 

Aqua  ammonia  (containing  28  per  cent 
ammonia  gas),  6  ounces; 

Water,  4  ounces. 

This  prescription  isj  sufficient  for  about  seven 
barrels.  The  solution  should  be  allowed  to  stand 
in  the  barrel  for  half  an  hour,  not  longer.  Be- 
fore using  it  is  colorless;  but  when  poured  out 
of  the  barrel,  if  cupro-nickel  be  present,  it  will 
be  a  deep  blue  color,  and  all  metal  fouling,  acid 
fouling,  etc.,  will  be  removed.  The  solution  is 
very  corrosive  to  steel  if  allowed  to  evaporate 
on  it,  but  does  not  injure  it  while  completely 
wet ;  therefore  as  soon  as  the  solution  is  poured 
out,  the  barrel  should  be  cleaned  of  all  ammonia 
with  dry  patches,  and  then,  to  make  sure,  a  patch 
wet  with  oil  sjiould  be  run  through  the  bore, 
which  will  saponify  any  trace  of  ammonia  re- 
tnaining.  Then  the  oil  should  be  wiped  out  and 
the  bore  should  have  a  five-minute  polishing 
with  chamois-skin  patches  coated  with  Acheson 


30         Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen. 

Graphite,  Grade  No.  1340,  procurable  from  the 
International  Acheson  Graphite  Company  of  Ni- 
agara Falls,  N.  Y.,  at  60  cents  a  pound,  post 
paid.  Then  oil  the  bore,  and  the  barrel  is  per- 
fectly cleaned  and  needs  no  further  attention. 

The  application  of  this  method  of  cleaning-  will 
be  made  less  difficult  by  attention  to  the  follow- 
ing details :  The  various  ammonia  preparations 
should  be  kept  in  tightly  corked  bottles  to  pre- 
vent evaporation  and  loss  of  strength,  and  these 
bottles  should  have  rubber  or  glass  stoppers,  as 
ammonia  quickly  burns  up  cork.  The  solution 
should  not  be  mixed  until  wanted  for  immediate 
use,  as  it  very  soon  loses  its  strength  through 
the  gas  it  throws  off;  and,  morever,  this  gas  is 
of  such  volume  that  it  will  blow  the  cork  out 
of  any  bottle,  or  burst  the  bottle.  The  best 
method  of  mixing  the  solution  for  the  cleaning 
of  a  single  rifle  is  as  follows :  Procure  a  small 
glass  vial  of  about  three  ounces  capacity,  cork 
up  the  chamber  of  the  rifle,  fill  the  barrel  full 
of  water,  and  then  pour  this  water  into  the  vial 
and  make  a  mark  where  the  water  comes  to. 
fThis  will  give  a  measure  for  the  correct  amount 
of  solution  needed  to  fill  the  barrel.  Pour  out 
two-fifths  of  the  water  from  the  vial  and  again 
make  a  mark  on  the  glass  at  the  new  water  level. 
Now  make  two  little  measures  of  old  cartridge 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         31 

shells  which  will  measure  approximately  one- 
sixth  of  an  ounce  of  ammonia  persulphate  and 
33  grains  of  ammonia  carbonate.  These  last  two 
are  crystal,  and  this  amount  of  each  should  be 
pulverized  together  and  placed  in  the  vial.  Now 
fill  the  vial  to  the  lower  mark  with  aqua  am- 
monia and  to  the  upper  mark  with  water.  Stir 
slightly  until  the  persulphate  and  carbonate  are 
dissolved,  and  then  fill  the  barrel.  You  had  best 
mix  the  solution  out  of  doors,  as  the  fumes  are 
very  strong. 

In  some  localities  ammonia  persulphate  is  very- 
difficult  to  procure.  Order  it  in  good  time  be- 
fore the  shooting  season;  or,  if  you  cannot  get 
it,  use  the  following  prescription : 

Aqua  ammonia,  i  ounce ; 

Ammonia  carbonate,  25  grains; 

Caustic  potash,  i  grain. 

The  graphite  is  used  to  restore  the  polish  to 
the  bore  of  the  rifle  and  is  a  very  important 
factor  in  retarding  the  rapid  accumulation  of 
cupro-nickel.  The  final  application  of  oil  is 
merely  a  rust-preventative.  Good  rust-preventa- 
tives  are  Cosmic  No.  80,  Soft,  which  is  issued 
for  this  purpose  upon  requisition  by  the  Ord- 
nance Department,  and  Gas  Engine  Cylinder  Oil. 
These  are  very  thick  oils,  and  to  remove  them 
quickly  from  the  bore  before  firing  again,  it  is 


32         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

necessary  to  use  gasoline  or  chloroform.  Where 
the  rifle  is  being  used  daily,  sperm  oil  is  good,  as 
it  can  be  wiped  out  quickly  with  flannel  patches 
alone.  These  oils  are  very  cheap  (enough  for  a 
season's  use  can  be  purchased  for  a  few  cents), 
and  they  are  every  bit  as  efficient  as  "3  in  i"  and 
the  patent  gun  greases,  which  are  very  much 
more  expensive. 

It  is,  of  course,  obvious  that  this  method  of 
cleaning  cannot  be  used  in  active  campaign. 
The  best  method  of  cleaning  under  these  cir- 
cumstances is  as  follows :  Carry  in  the  haver- 
sack a  small  tin  box  containing  sal-soda,  a  water- 
proof bag  containing  flannel  patches,  and  a  small 
metal  flask  containing  Marble's  Nitro  Solvent 
Oil,  or,  if  unable  to  procure  it,  sperm  oil.  I 
would  also  advise  you  to  place  no  reliance  on 
the  thong  and  brush,  which  are  intended  for 
emergency  only,  but  to  obtain  a  Marble  Pocket 
Rifle  Rod,  which  has  joints  9  inches  long  and 
comes,  in  a  neat  leather  case  and  weighs  only 
8  ounces,  and  a  Marble  Rifle  Cleaner,  com- 
posed of  soft  brass  gauze  washers,  which  fits 
on  the  rod.  Clean  first  with  patches  wet  with 
a  saturated  solution  of  sal-soda  and  water;  then 
dry  and  clean  again  with  the  rifle  cleaner  dipped 
in  oil ;  then  clean  again  with  dry  patches  until 
a  patch  comes  out  clean,  and  then  oil.  Repeat 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         33 

this  cleaning  the  following  day.  This  is  a  make- 
shift, but  the  sal-soda  neutralizes  the  acid  fouling 
and  the  cleaner  cuts  out  the  worst  of  the  metal 
fouling.  Nitro  solvent  oil,  the  cleaning-rod, 
and  the  cleaner  can  be  had  from  the  Marble 
Safety  Axe  Co.,  Gladstone,  Michigan,  and  also 
at  most  sporting  goods  stores. 

Except  in  an  emergency  in  the  tropics,  no 
vegetable  oil  should  ever  be  used  in  a  rifle. 

The  action,  bolt,  etc.,  should  be  liberally  oiled 
with  sperm  oil.  Raw  linseed  oil  should  be  rub- 
bed into  the  stock  by  hand  weekly  and  after  any 
wetting  by  rain.  The  rifle  should  never  be  laid 
on  the  damp  ground,  as!  this  will  often  cause  the 
stock  to  warp,  and  often  change  the  "zero"  of 
the  rifle. 

A  piece  of  chamois-skin  thoroughly  saturated 
with  oil  is  a  good  thing  to  carry  to  wipe  the 
rifle  off  with  after  a  day's  shooting,  to  prevent 
the  moisture  of  the  hands  from  rusting  the  rifle. 
Once  thoroughly  saturated,  it  will  last  a  lifetime 
and  is  a  great  saver  of  oil. 

Never  leave  a  rag  in  the  muzzle  of  the  gun. 
If  the  air  is  damp,  it  will  collect  moisture  and 
rust  the  muzzle.  Besides,  you  are  liable  to  fire 
the  rifle  some  day  without  removing  the  rag, 
when  the  best  you  can  hope  for*  is  a  ruined  rifle. 

A  company  should  be  provided  with  a  long 
cleaning-rod  for  each  squad,  and  the  men  should 


34         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

be  able  to  procure  the  various  cleaning  materials 
in  the  post  exchange.  The  men  should  be  thor- 
oughly instructed  how  to  clean  their  rifles,  and  a 
company  order  should  then  be  issued  prohibiting 
cleaning  in  any  other  way ;  this  order  being 
aimed  particularly  at  cleaning  from  the  muzzle. 
The  muzzle  cannot  be  guarded  too  carefully. 

Before  going  on  the  range,  carefully  wipe  all 
oil  or  cleaning  solution  from  the  bore.  The  bore 
must  be  perfectly  clean  and  dry  before  firing. 
The  presence  of  any  oil  in  the  barrel  will  cause 
the  first  few  shots  to  go  high  and  exceedingly 
wild.  For  the  same  reason  cartridges  should 
never  be  lubricated  nor  wet  with  saliva. 

It  is  the  practice  of  the  best  shots,  after  wip- 
ing the  bore  clean,  and  before  firing,  to  coat  the 
bullets  wilth  Acheson  graphite  applied  with  a 
chamois-skin.  This  graphite  is  made  in  an  elec- 
tric furnace  at  a  very  high  temperature  and  it 
will  easily  stand  the  highest  temperature  found 
in  the  barrel.  It  thus  offers  a  perfect  lubricant 
to  the  bore  and  bullet.  It  is  claimed  that  its 
use  in  this  manner  reduces  friction,  prolongs  the 
life  of  the  barrel,  increases  the  velocity  slightly, 
and  prevents  the  metal  fouling  being  deposited 
in  the  large  lumps  which  do  so  much  towards 
destroying  accuracy.  The  rifle  will  shoot  a  trifle 
higher  when  graphite  is  used,  but  this  seems  to 
be  verv  constant. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  FIRING  POSITIONS. 
i.     The   Standing   Position. 

The  standing  position  will  be  used  almost  en- 
tirely in  short-range  firing,  or  at  longer  ranges 
when  the  objective  cannot  be  seen  in  the  sitting 
or  kneeling  positions.  Unlike  the  other  posi- 
tions, no  specific  rule  can  be  laid  as  to  how 
the  rifle  should  be  held.  The  conformation  and 
muscular  development  of  men  differ  so  much 
that  it  is  far  better  to  allow  them,  with  certain 
restrictions,  to  select  their  own  position,  than  to 
compel  them  to  take  any  prescribed  one. 

The  standing  or  "off-hand"  position  may  be 
subdivided  into  four  distinct  positions : 

The  full-arm  extension, 

The  half-arm  extension, 

The  body-rest, 

The  hip-rest. 

We  will  take  these  up  separately,  describing 
each  and  showing  to  what  class  of  men  they  are 
best  suited. 

—35— 


36         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

The  following  general  rules  will  apply  to  all 
positions : 

The  body  must  never  be  inclined  forward,  but 
an  even  balance  on  both  feet  must  be  assumed. 
When  the  rifle  is  raised,  the  body  should  be  in- 
clined very  slightly  backward  to  regain  the  per- 
fect balance  which  the  extended  rifle  has  tempo- 
rarily destroyed.  A  perfect  balance  throughout 
the  whole  body  is  very  important,  as,  if  any  part 
is  out  of  balance,  that  part  is  under  strain,  and 
hence  will  tremble. 

The  right  elbow  must  be  held  high  enough  to 
insure  that  the  entire  butt-plate  from  toe  to  heel 
rests  against  the  shoulder. 

The  head  must  not  be  inclined  over  the  stock, 
but  the  right  cheek  should  rest  against  the  side 
of  the  stock. 

The  right  hand  should  do  more  than  half  the 
work  of  holding  the  rifle  against  the  shoulder. 

In  the  first  three  positions  the  fingers  of  the 
left  hand  should  nearly  encircle  the  barrel,  hold- 
ing down  firmly  against  the  jump  of  recoil. 

The  rifle  must  be  held  exactly  the  same,  as  re- 
gfards  grip  of  the  hands  and  pressure  against 
the  shoulder,  for  each  shot.  It  is  actually  possi- 
ble to  make  the  shots  vary  as  much  as  4  inches 
at  200  yards  by  varying  the  pressure. 

The  feet  in  all  positions  should  be  about  12 


FIGURE  3.— St^nclirg  Position,  Full-Arm  Extension. 


38         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

inches  apart,  both  resting  firmly  on  the  ground, 
knees  straight. 

The   Half-Arm   Extension. 

Stand  with  the  left  side  facing  the  target,  left 
hand  grasping  the  barrel  so  far  out  that  the  left 
elbow  will  be  absolutely  straight,  fingers  of  left 
hand  well  around  the  piece.  The  right  hand  is 
well  wrapped  around  the  small  of  the  stock  close 
to  the  trigger-guard.  The  right  hand  and  arm 
are  to  support  most  of  the  rifle's  weight.  The 
right  elbow  should  be  very  high,  at  least  6  inches 
above  the  shoulder.  The  head  should  be  leaned 
back,  not  forward,  to  get  the  eye  in  the  line  of 
sight.  All  motions  to  change  position  of  the 
sights  on  the  target  are  made  by  swinging  on 
the  hips.  The  left  hand  steadies  and  controls 
the  piece  with  very  little  effort. 

This  is  pre-eminently  the  position  for  shoot- 
ing in  a  strong  wind.  It  can  be  assumed  best 
by  tall  men  and  those  having  strong  'deltoid 
(shoulder)  and  trapezius  (upper  back)  muscles. 
It  is  not  adapted  to  men  who  stoop,  small  men, 
or  those  deficient  in  muscular  development. 

The   Full- Arm    Extension. 

This  is  the  best  all-around  standing  position. 
It  is  the  best  position  for  rapid  fire,  for  snap- 


FIGURE  4.— Standing  Position,  Half-Arm  Extension. 


4O        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

shooting,  and  for  use  when  the  marksman  is  un- 
steady from  recent  muscular  exertion. 

Take  the  same  position  as  in  the  full-arm  ex- 
tension, except  that  the  left  elbow  is  slightly  bent, 
left  hand  grasps  the  piece  just  below  the  lower 
band,  and  the  left  elbow  i$  well  under  the  piece. 
This  last  is  important.  Only  the  weight  of  the 
arm  is  allowed  to  pull  against  the  grip  of  the 
left  hand.  The  right  hand  does  all  the  rest  of 
the  work  of  holding  the  rifle  to  the  shoulder. 
When  the  bolt  is  worked  in  rapid  fire,  the  left 
hands  pulls  the  rifle  hard  against  the  shoulder 
and  holds  it  in  firing  position  while  the  right 
manipulates  the  bolt.  Figure  4  shows  the  posi- 
tion with  the  sling,  which  may  or  may  not  be 
used. 

This  position  may  be  used  advantageously  by 
all  men,  and  should  be  the  first  one  taught  and 
the  one  most  encouraged.  While  it  is  the  best 
for  all-around  shooting  and  the  one  which  will 
give  the  best  average  results,  it  is  the  hardest 
one  in  which  to  hold  the  rifle  still. 

The  Body-Rest  Position. 

The  left  hand  is  placed  against  and  in  front 
of  the  trigger-guard,  which  rests  in  the  hollow 
of  the  hand,  while  the  fingers  are  wrapped  well 
around  the  receiver  and  bolt  handle,  left  fore- 


FIGURE  5.— Standing  Position,  Body-Rest. 


42         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

arm  is  vertical,  and  left  upper  arm  is  resting 
against  and  clinging  to  the  breast.  Rifle  held 
to  the  shoulder  and  supported  equally  by  both 
hands,  right  elbow  level  with  the  butt,  head  ad- 
vanced into  line  of  sight.  All  motions  to  change 
the  position  of  the  sights  on  the  target  are  made 
by  swinging  on  the  hips  as  a  pivot. 

This  position  is  a  very  steady  one.  It  is  not 
adapted  to  rapid  fire,  as  in  order  to  work  the  bolt 
it  is  necessary  to  change  the  position  of  the  left 
hand  and  take  the  piece  from  the  shoulder.  Nor 
is  it  adapted  to  snap-shooting,  for  it  is  a  hard 
position  to  assume  quickly.  It  is  not  a  good 
position  for  use  in  the  wind. 

It  is  best  assumed  by  men  who  tend  toward 
stoutness,  and  those  who  lack  muscular  devel- 
opment will  probably  choose  it.  Thin  men  will 
find  difficulty  in  resting  the  left  arm  against  the 
breast. 

The  Hip-Rest  Position. 

The  left  elbow  rests  aginst  the  point  of  the 
left  hip  (pelvis  bone).  The  rifle  is  balanced  on 
the  tips  of  the  thumb  and  first  and  second  fin- 
gers of  the  left  hand.  The  thumb  rests  against 
the  bottom  of  the  trigger-guard  and  the  fingers 
against  the  stock  about  5  inches  in  front  of  the 
trigger-guard,  left  wrist  held  very  stiff.  Right 


FIGURE  6.— Standing  Position,  Hip-Rest. 


44        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

« 

hand  and  arm  same  as  in  the  body-rest  position. 
The  right  hand  must  do  all  the  work  of  hold- 
ing the  rifle  against  the  shoulder.  The  left  arm 
and  fingers  support  the  piece.  It  makes  the 
bones  of  the  body  form  a  structure  from  the 
ground  up  to  support  the  rifle  and  takes  the 
work  almost  entirely  from  the  muscles. 

There  comes  a  time  in  the  shooting  of  every 
man  who  practices  this(  position  when  he  can 
hold  absolutely  still  for  several  seconds  so  as 
not  to  be  able  to  see  any  motion  of  the  sights  on 
the  target.  The  trouble  then  comes  in  pulling 
the  trigger,  for  the  whole  body  is  "frozen/*  This 
position  is  the  steadiest  of  all  when  there  is  no 
wind  and  the  marksman  is  not  unsteady  from 
previous  muscular  exertion.  It  is  impossible  to 
use  ft  in  the  wind.  It  almost  entirely  eliminates 
vertical  errors.  It  can  be  assumed  best  by  men 
who  are  thin  and  those  with  small  waists,  or 
men  who  stoop.  Some  men  cannot  rest  the  el- 
bow on  the  hip.  All  men  who  can  assume  it 
should  be  taught  to  use  it,  as  for  them  it  is  the 
best  position  for  deliberate  slow  fire  on  still  days. 
It  is  obviously  unsuitable  for  rapid  or  snap- 
shooting. 

It  is  my  opinion  that  the  best  work  in  the 
standing  position  can  only  be  obtained  when  two 
or  more  positions  are  known  thoroughly.  For 


FIGURE   7.— Kneeling   Position. 


46         Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen. 

instance,  the  full-arm  extension  for  use  on  windy 
days,  the  half-arm  extension  in  rapid  fire,  snap- 
shooting, and  under  excitement,  and  the  hip-rest 
for  slow  fire  on  calm  days. 

2.     The  Kneeling  Position. 

Assume  the  position  as  in  the  Drill  Regulations, 
adjusting  the  sling  as  shown  in  Figure  7,  and 
have  it  very  tight.  The  left  hand  grasps  the  piece 
just  under  the  rear  sight.  The  sole  of  the  shoe 
should  be  very  heavy,  and  one  should  be  able  to 
sit  on  the  right  heel  so  comfortably  as  to  be  ab- 
solutely steady.  Few  men  can  do  this,  and  for 
those  who  cannot  the  sitting  position  is  far  better. 

The  kneeling  position  is  steadier  than  the 
standing.  It  is  quickly  assumed  and  one  can 
take  up  the  advance  quickly  from  it.  The  sling 
holds  the  piece  steadily  in  the  firing  position  while 
the  bolt  is  worked  in  rapid  fire.  It  can  be 
assumed  only  on  smooth  ground.  It  is  hard  to 
use  in  firing  either  up  or  down  hill,  and  is  a 
miserable  position  for  those  who  cannot  sit  com- 
fortably on  the  right  heel. 

3.     The   Sitting  Position. 

Assume  the  position  illustrated  in  the  Firing 
Regulation  or  cross  the  legs  as  in  Figure  8.  In 
order  to  be  able  to  hold  steadily  in  the  first  posi- 


bfi 

a 


t 


48         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

tion,  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  have  large  holes 
in  the  ground  to  support  almost  the  entire  sole 
of  the  foot  in  its  natural  position.  The  second 
position  is  very  steady  and  can  be  assumed  when 
there  is  no  time  for  making  holes  in  the  ground. 
It  is  a  little  awkward  to  assume,  especially  for 
stout  men.  Use  the  sling  as  illustrated,  having 
it  very  tight.  Elbows  should  be  in  the  hollow  of 
the  inside  of  the  knees.  When  working  the  bolt 
in  rapid  fire,  hold  the  piece  hard  in  the  firing  po- 
sition with  the  left  hand  and  sling  and  work  the 
bolt  with  the  right  hand,  the  right  knee  assist- 
ing the  right  arm  and  the  right  elbow  and  knee 
never  losing  contact.  The  left  hand  must  grasp 
well  around  the  piece  with  the  stock  resting  hard 
against  the  bones  at  the  base  of  the  palm.  Don't 
get  the  rifle  up  on  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand,  or 
it  will  tremble. 

This  position,  even  when  one  is  obliged  to  as- 
sume lit  hurriedly,  is  a  very  steady  one,  and  when 
time  is  available  for  digging  holes  for  the  feet, 
the  rifle  can  be  held  almost  as  steadily  as  in  the 
prone  position.  It  is  the  only  position  which  can 
be  assumed  when  the  marksman  is  on  a  steep 
hillside  and  firing  downward.  It  is  a  very  effi- 
cient position  for  rapid  fire,  particularly  where 
more  than  one  magazineful  is  to  be  fired. 


50        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

'4.     The   Prone   Position. 

Lie  flat  on  the  ground — the  closer  you  can  get 
to  the  ground  the  better.  Lie  at  an  angle  of  45 
diegrees  with  the  target,  not  head  on  (see  fig- 
ure). Spread  the  legs  wide  apart  to  allow  the 
stomach  to  lie  flat  on  the  ground,  thus  taking 
away  all  trembling  from  this  part  of  the  body. 
Grasp  the  rifle  at  the  balance  or  farther  forward 
with  the  left  hand,  left  elbow  well  under  the 
piece,  right  hand  at  the  small  of  the  stock.  As- 
sume the  firing  position ;  then  lower  the  rifle, 
and  noting  where  the  elbows  have  rested,  with 
an  old  hatchet  dig  holes  for  them.  This  is  un- 
necessary on  grass  or  soft  ground.  The  elbows 
must  not  only  not  slip,  but  there  must  be  no  feel 
ing  when  they  are  in  position  that  they  might 
possibly  slip,  for  if  this  feeling  is  present,  the 
position  will  be  unsteady.  The  cheek  should  rest 
comfortably  against  the  stock.  This  position 
without  using  the  sling  is  as  steady  as  the  sit- 
ting position.  When  the  sling  is  used  properly 
as  described  below,  it  becomes  as  steady  as  a 
rock.  This  position  can  be  assumed  on  any 
ground  except  that  which  has  considerable  slope 
to  the  front  or  flanks.  It  is  the  best  position  for 
long-range  work,  extreme  accuracy,  and  rapid 
fire.  It  can  be  assumed  more,  quickly  than  any 
other  position  except  the  standing. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         51 

THE  USE  OF  THE  GUN-SUNG. 

The  gun-sling  should  be  used  whenever  it  is 
possible  to  do  so.  It  is  even  more  of  a  factor  in 
fine  marksmanship  than  the  wind-gauge.  By  its 
use  the  rifle  may  held  absolutely  steady;  in 
rapid  fire  it  facilitates  the  quick  return  of  the 
rifle  to  the  point  of  aim,  and  it  takes  up  almost 
half  of  the  recoil.  I  am  opposed  to  any  way  of 
using  the  sling  other  than  as  shown  in  the  pre- 
ceding cuts.  The  experience  of  hundreds  of  ex- 
pert shots*  has  proven  this  to  be  the  best  and 
only  practical  way  of-  using  it. 

The  sling  is  made  up  of  four  parts :  the  long 
strap,  the  short  strap,  and  two  keepers.  To  as- 
semble it,  the  plain  end  of  the  long  strap  is  passed 
through  the  larger  keeper,  then  through  the 
metal  loop  of  the  short  strap,  passing  from  the 
undressed  to  the  dressed  side  of  the  latter,  then 
back  through  the  larger  keeper,  forming  the 
arm-loop  dressed  side  out.  The  same  end  is 
then  passed  through  the  smaller  keeper,  through 
the  upper  sling  swivel  from  the  butt  toward  the 
muzzle,  and  back  through  the  smaller  keeper, 

*When  the  word  "expert"  is  used  in  this  work,  it  is 
not  to  be  understood  to  mean  simply  a  man  who  has  qual- 
ified as  "expert  rifleman,"  but  rather  one  who  is  in  every 
respect  a  finished  shot  and  who  is  weli  up  in  all  the  theory 
and  practice  of  rifle-shooting. 


52         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

the  arm-loop  being  completed  by  engaging  the 
claw  of  the  long  strap  in  the  proper  holes  in  the 
other  end  of  same. 

The  size  of  the  arm-loop  is  adjusted  to  suit 
the  individual  who  is  to  fire  the  piece,  the  loop 
being  drawn  through  the  upper  swivel  until  the 
claw  comes  well  up  toward  the  upper  swivel. 
The  claw  end  of  the  short  strap  is  then  passed 
through  the  lower  swivel  from  muzzle  to  butt 
and  brought  up  and  engaged  in  the  proper  holes 
in  the  long  strap,  drawing  the  slibg  taut.  This 
gives  the  parade  position  of  the  sling. 

To  adjust  it  for  firing  or  carrying,  the  claw  of 
the  short  strap  is  disengaged  and  re-engaged  in 
the  proper  holes  of  the  short  strap,  no  change 
being  necessary  in  the  adjustment  of  the  arm- 
loop.* 

The  essential  points  in  the  use  of  the  sling  are 
as  follows : 

The  tension  must  come  from  the  lower  band 
(from  attachment)  of  the  sling  only. 

The  arm-loop  must  pass  to  the  right  of  the 
left  wrist  to  prevent  canting,  and  thence  around 
the  left  upper  arm,  preferably  above  the  swell- 
ing of  the  triceps  muscle. 

The  short  strap  must  be  loose  in  all  positions, 
as  any  tension  here  will  cause  the  rifle  to  be 
"Circular  No.  16,  War  Department,  March  7,  1907. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         53 

canted  to  the  right  and  will  pull  the  butt  away 
from  the  shoulder. 

The  arm-loop  must  be  made  short  enough  to 
enable  the  rifleman  to  place  a  heavy  pressure 
(about  75  pounds)  on  the  sling — equal,  of  course, 
for  each  shot.  This  is  what  is  meant  by  "hold- 
ing hard/'  and  it  will  cause  the  piece  to  steady 
down  like  a  rock  and  distribute  the  recoil  to  the 
entire  body  so  that  the  shoulder  will  scarcely 
feel  anything. 

The  left  hand  should  always  grasp  the  rifle 
well  around  the  stock,  letting  the  stock  down  on 
the  bones  of  the  palm  of  the  hand  near  the  wrist ; 
for  if  this  part  of  the  hand  be  held  away  from 
the  stock,  the  rifle  will  rest  on  the  fingers  and 
each  separate  finger  will  tremble  slightly.  The 
theory  of  the  position  is  that  the  arm-loop  binds 
the  bones  of  the  forearm  to  the  rifle  and  to  the 
ground  or  knee,  and  the  heavy  tension  makes  it 
a  dead  rest  with  a  universal  joint,  the  wrist,  at 
its  upper  extremity. 

These  remarks  pertain  more  particularly  to 
the  kneeling,  sitting,  and  prone  positions.  It  is 
doubtful  if  the  sling  is  of  much  use  in  slow  fire 
in  the  standing  position,  except  when  shooting  in 
a  high  wind,  which  makes  the  holding  unsteady. 
In  rapid  fire  standing,  however,  its  use  as  shown 
in  Figure  4  takes  up  so  much  of  the  recoil  that 


54         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

the  rifle  does  not  move  off  the  target  when  firing 
or  while  working  the  bolt. 

In  rapid  fire  prone  and  in  skirmish,  as  the 
bolt  is  pulled  back  by  the  right  hand,  right  elbow 
remainmg  on  the  ground,  the  left  hand  should 
move  to  the  right  and  low,  without  changing  its 
grip  on  the  rifle,  causing  a  corresponding  move- 
ment to  the  muzzle  of  the  piece.  As  the  bolt  is 
closed  the  left  hand  brings  the  rifle  back  to  its 
aim  on  the  target,  and  a  little  practice  enables 
one  to  bring  the  .piece  back  exactly  so  that  the 
aim  for  succeeding  shots  is  absolutely  correct 
without  further  movement.  When  the  knagk  of 
doing  this  is  mastered,  one  can  shoot  faster  and 
more  accurately  prone  than  any  other  way. 

The  piece  may  be  carried  with  the  sling  ad- 
justed to  the  left  arm  and  held  there  by  slipping 
down  the  keeper,  in  the  positions  of  traii  with  the 
left  hand,  port  arms,  or  ready,  and  the  firing  po- 
sition assumed  instantly.  With  the  sling  adujst- 
ed  as  shown  in  Figure  i,  the  rifle  can  be  instant- 
ly slung  over  the  shoulder.  In  the  field  and  in 
extended  order  drills  and  maneuvers  all  slings 
should  be  habitually  kept  adjusted  in  this  man- 
ner— that  is,  in  the  firing  position. 

In  firing  prone  the  left  hand  should  grasp  the 
piece  as  far  forward  as  the  length  of  arm  will 
admit.  The  farther  forward  this  hand  grasps 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen,         55 

the  less  will  be  the  tremble  at  the  muzzle  of  the 
rifle.  A  man  6  feet  tall  can  run  his  left  hand 
right  up  against  the  lower  band,  and  should  be 
required  to  do  so. 

To  some  men  the  prone  position  with  the 
sling  tightly  adjusted  is  intensely  uncomfortable 
when  assumed  for  the  first  time.  Fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes'  practice,  however,  will  teach  one 
the  knack  of  it.  This  must  be  remembered  when 
teaching  recruits  to  use  the  sling,  and  the  loop 
should  not  be  made  too  loose  even  at  the  start. 
The  beginner  should  be  sure  to  learn  the  use  of 
the  sling.  One  cannot  become  an  expert  without 
its  aid.  In  company  and  team  practice  its  use 
should  be  made  compulsory. 

If  a  man  cannot  hold  steadily  when  using  the 
sling  correctly,  the  fault  can  always  be  traced 
to  his  physical  condition.  My  experience  as  a 
coach  has  taught  me  that  during  the  shooting 
season  men  should  have  strong  exercises  for  the 
arms,  back,  and  chest  daily.  The  setting-up  ex- 
ercises are  not  vigorous  enough.  "Chinning"  on 
the  horizontal  bar  and  "dipping"  on  the  paral- 
lel bars  are  excellent.  Strength  enables  one  to 
hold  hard  and  to  prolong  his  holding  after  the 
tripper  has  been  pulled. 

Summinp-  matters  up.  the  advant^ees  of  using 
the  gun-sling  are:  absolute  steadinesss  in  the 


56         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

prone  position;  distribution  of  the  recoil  to  the 
entire  body ;  quickening  return  of  the  rifle  to  the 
target  in  magazine  fire;  preventing  the  rifle  re- 
coiling off  the  target;  and  minimizing  the  ef- 
fect of  the  wind,  fatigue,  and  breathlessness  on 
holding. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


HOLDING  AND  PUUJNG  THE:  TRIGGER. 

By  "holding"'  we  mean  that  attempt  on  the 
part  of  the  brain,  nerves,  and  muscles  to  control 
or  eliminate  the  trembling  of  the  rifle  long 
enough,  while  it  is  correctly  aimed,  to  deliver 
the  shot.  Hence  it  will  be  seen  that  holding  de- 
pends upon  physical  powers.  It  is  impossible  to 
hold  a  rifle  absolutely  still  by  hand.  Even  the 
best  shots,,  when  firing  prone  and  using  the  sling, 
will,  if  they  attach  a  telescope  sight  to  their  rifles, 
be  able  to  notice  a  tremble  of  a  few  inches  on 
the  looo-yard  target.  Trembling  or  poor  hold- 
ing is,  of  course,  most  noticeable  among  begin- 
ners, and  gradually  a  man  learns  control  and  his 
gun  steadies  down. 

Thus  it  would  seem  that  men  of  a  phlegmat- 
ic nature  have  a  great  advantage  over  nervous 
individuals.  While  this  is  so  to  a  great  extent, 
it  is  by  no  means  the  general  rule.  Dr.  W.  G. 
Hudson,  one  of  the  most  expert  marksmen  in 
the  country,  says :  "Much  has  been  said  about 
the  ability  to  shoot  well  being  due  to  'strong 

—57— 


58         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

nerves' — whatever  that  may  mean.     Riflemen  oft- 
en refer  to  an  anticipated  day's  shooting  by  say- 
ing they  are  'going  to  try  their  nerve/    According 
to  my  observation  as  a  physician,  however,  nerve 
has  little  to  do  with  it.     I  have  had  expert  rifle- 
men under  my  care  suffering  from  pronounced 
neurasthenia — the  very  word  means  weak  nerves 
—and    they    could,    even    during    the    height    of 
their  disorder,  shoot  almost  if  not  quite  as  well 
as  wheri  they  were  in  good  health."     The  trem- 
bling, of  course,  lies  in  the  muscles,   and  any- 
thing  which   tends   to   give   better   control   over 
and  education  of  the  muscles  will  improve  the 
shooting.     Men  who  from  their  youth  have  been 
laborers   and  rough   farm-hands  will  at  the  be- 
ginnting,  as  a  rule,  make  very  poor  shots.     They 
have  never  learned  that  nicety  of  muscular  co- 
ordination which  is  necessary.     When  a  man  is 
clumsy,  carries  himself  badly,  is  slow  in  learn- 
ing the  manual  of  arms,  etc.',  he  will,  unless  ed- 
ucated to   shooting  from   his  boyhood,   make  a 
very  indifferent  shot.    Mechanics,  carpenters,  and 
gymnasts,  on  the  other  hand,  can  be  coached  in- 
to good  shots  very  quickly,  for  they  have  learned 
to  control  their  bodies. 

Some  men  learn  to  put  their  whole  will  into 
the  control  of  certain  muscles,  and  they  are  able 
to  hold  the  rifle  in  the  hip-rest,  sitting,  and  prone 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         59 

positions,  so  that  no  motion  tp  the  piece  can  be 
noticed  by  the  eye.  The  trouble  now  comes  with 
pulling-  the  trijgger,  for  the  whole  body,  includ- 
ing the  trigger  finger,  is  "frozen,"  as  it  were,  and 
when  the  finger  starts  to  exert  its  pressure,  the 
whole  rifle  moves.  The  brain  is  incapable  of 
concentrating  its  whole  will  on  two  things  at  the 
same  instant.  Thus  while  the  rifle  is  held  cor- 
rectly with  the  top  of  the  front  sight  just  graz- 
ing the  lower  edge  of  the  bull's-eye,  the  rifle- 
man's brain  will  telegraph  a  message  to  the  trig- 
.ger-finger  to  pmJl.  But  something  else  has  hap- 
pened in  the  meantime.  When  the  thoughts 
and  control  of  the  will  were  taken  away  from 
the  holding  and  turned  to  the  trigger-finger,  the 
rifle  was  cast  adrift  without  a  guiding  rudder, 
and  if  we  were  quick  enough,  wt  could  see  the 
sights  drift  off  that  little  vital  spot  just  before 
the  recoil  shut  out  the  view  of  the  target.  This 
little  fault  must  not  be  confused  with  flinching 
or  jerking  the  trigger,  for  it  must  of  necessity 
exist  in  everyone  and  can  never  be  altogether 
eliminated. 

There  are  two  ways  of  pulling  the  trigger  of 
a  military  rifle.  One  is  to  gradually  increase  the 
pressure  ounce  by  ounce  until  the  gun  suddenly 
goes  off,  in  the  meantime  holding  the  best  you 
know  how,  the  report  and  recoil  coming  in  the 


60         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

nature  of  a  surprise.  The  other  is  to  learn  to 
put  just  so  much  pressure  on  the  trigger  that  an 
ounce  or  so  more  placed  on  very  carefully  at  the 
exact  instant  when  it  is  desired  to  fire  will  dis- 
charge the  piece.  Both  methods  have  their  ad- 
vocates. I  believe  the  latter  to  be  the  best  way, 
for  we  thus  have  the  rifle  go  off  when  we  want 
it  to,  whereas  by  the  former  method  we  limit  the 
accuracy  to  the  averagq  error  of  holding  while 
applying  the  pressure.  Rapid  fire  forms  such  a 
large  part  of  a  rifleman's  practice  to-day  that  a 
man  should  be  able  to  fire  his  rifle  the  instant 
he  sees  that  his  aim  is  correct.  However,  the 
former  method  is  a  great  factor  in  teaching  a 
man  to  overcome  flinching,  and  it  is  perhaps  bet- 
ter to  teach  recruits  to  fire  in  this  way,  and  then, 
when  they  have  overcome  all  tendency  to  flinch, 
change  them  to  the  other  method.  Jerking  or 
snatching  the  trigger  is,  of  course,  fatal  to  good 
shooting.  Control  of  the  trigger  is  everything 
in  rifle  practice.  Tt  is  that  part  of  the  art  which 
is  soonest  forgotten.  When  we  change  to  a  rifle 
writh  a  different  trigger-pull,  we  must  learn  it  all 
over  again.  Hence  we  should  stick  to  one  rifle  as 
long  as  it  remains  accurate,  and  by  daily  trigger- 
pull  exercises  accustom  ourselves  to  the  pull  and 
keep  in  practice. 

Flinching  is  the  quick  setting  of  the  muscles 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.         61 

at  the  instant  of  pulling  the  trigger  to  brace 
against  the  recoil.  It  comes  from  an  instinctive 
dread  of  the  blow  of  the  recoil  or  from  a  nervous 
fear  of  the  report  of  the  rifle.  I  have  seen  men 
flinch  so  much  that  they  failed  to  hit  a  i6Jfoot 
square  shield  placed  30  feet  in  front  of  the  firing- 
point.  Until  this  is  conquered,  of  course,  a  man 
cannot  shoot  at  all.  It  seldom  demonstrates 
itself  in  gallery  practice,  but  we  will  always  find 
one  or  two  men  in  a  company  who  do  it  every 
time  when  firing  the  service  cartridge,  and  who 
do  not  seem  to  be  able  to  be  taught  otherwise. 
The  remedy  lies  with  the  man  hlimself,  and  if  we 
cannot  infuse  into  a  flincher  enough  interest  in 
the  subject  to  make/  him  work  for  his  own  im- 
provement, we  nearly  always  fail  to  eliminate  it 
by  our  own  efforts  or  by  any  system  of  instruc- 
tion. In  trying  to  help  a  man  over  this  difficulty, 
start  with  gallery  ammunition,  then  reloaded 
short  range  ammunition,  then  use  mid-range 
'  ammunition  with  a  small  recoil,  and  finally  full 
service  charges.  Never  let  him  use  the  more 
powerful  ammunition  for  even  a  single  shot  un- 
til he  has  conquered  the  flinching  habit  with  the 
less  powerful  loads.  Insist  upon  a  gradual  and 
even  pressure  of  the  trigger.  Be  right  alongside 
the  man  at  the  firing-point  where  you  can  speak 
to  him  in  a  low  voice  without  anyone  else  hear- 


62         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

ing-.  Encourage  him,  and  be  sure,  above  all  oth- 
er things,  not  to  antagonize  him.  You  must  exert 
your  whole  being  to  dominate  the  man  so  that 
at  the  instant  of  firing-,  his  whole  will  -  power, 
thought,  and  attention  are  concentrated  on  aim- 
ing carefully,  holding  steadily,  and  pulling  the 
trigger  gradually ;  so  that  the  factors  of  recoil 
and  report  are  blotted  from  his  mind.  Two  or 
three  good  scores  obtained  from  a  poor  shot  in 
this  manner  will  in  all  probability  cure  him  of 
flinching  and  he  will  quickly  be  shooting  up  with 
the  best  shots.  I  know  of  no  harder  work  for  a 
coach  than  this.  If  the  proper  amount  of  will- 
power is  concentrated  on  the  flincher  to  get  a 
good  score  for  him,  the  coach  will  be  pretty  well 
exhausted. 

I  remember  a  private  in  my  company  who  was 
one  of  the  worst  flinchers  I  ever  saw.  When  he 
first  came  to  the  range,  I  started  him  in  at  100 
yards ;  30  feet  in  front  of  the  firing-point  was 
a  protective  screen  16  feet  square  with  a  2-foot 
window  in  the  center,  through  which  the  target 
could  be  seen.  Sometimes  he  hit  that  screen  and 
sometimes  he  did  not,  and  although  he  fired  forty 
shots,  he  did  not  get  a  single  bullet  through  that 
window.  The  man  persevered,  and  so  did  I. 
He  was  made  of  the  right  stuff,  and  by  the  end 
of  the  season  he  was  a  fair  shot;  but  it  was 


Suggestions  to  Military  Rifleman.         63 

awfully  hard  work.  The  next  year  he  quali- 
fied as  a  sharpshooter  and  shot  on  two  winning 
teams. 

We  have  seen  how  the  physical  powers  enter 
into  holding  and  pulling  the  trigger.  It  there- 
fore follows  that  anything  which  tends  to  im- 
prove or  injure  the  physical  condition  will  affect 
shooting  to  some  extent.  By  cutting  out  smok- 
ing and  drinking  and  taking  up  gymnastics,  out- 
door exercise,  and  a  careful  diet,  we  improve  our 
bodies ;  but  a  sudden  change  of  this  kind  will  al- 
ways hurt  a  man's  shooting  until  he  has  become 
accustomed  to  the  change.  The  time  to  institute 
such  a  reform  is  long  before  the  shooting  sea- 
son starts ;  otherwise,  moderation  should  be  the 
keynote  of  all  habits.  A  strong,  muscular  man 
will  always  have  an  advantage  over  a  weak  man 
in  military  shooting.  The  weak  man  may  be 
able  to  shoot  a  score  or  two  as  well  as  his  strong- 
er brother,  but  the  latter  can  hold  so  hard  that 
the  recoil  is  scarcely  felt,  while  the  former  will 
be  so  kicked  around  that  as  the  shooting  pro- 
gresses his  work  wrill  fall  off.  In  competitions 
like  those  in  the  regular  Army,  where  the  com- 
petitor has  to  compete  at  his  post  for  top  score 
and  then  go  through  two  severe  competitions 
of  six  days'  duration  each,  strength  becomes  an 


64         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

enormous  factor.  So,  too,  in  a  strong  wind  the 
powerful  man  can  hold  his  rifle  more  firmly 
against  the  wind  than  the  weaker  one.  A  tall 
man  has  a  similar  advantage  over  a  short  one. 


CHAPTER   V. 


POSITION  AND  AIMING  DRIU.S. 

Position  and  aiming  drills  are  the  A,  B,  C  of 
rifle  practice.  Not  only  are  they  necessary  in 
recruit  instruction,  but  they  should  be  included 
in  the  every-day  work  of  the  most  expert.  They 
practice  one  in  the  holding,  the  sighting,  and  the 
pulling  of  the  trigger.  They  educate,  and  hard- 
en the  muscles  and  teach  control.  Starting  a  re- 
cruit in  with  this  form  of  instruction,  the  coach 
is  able  to  correct  poor  positions  and  teach  good 
ones. 

A  recruit  must  first  be  taught  to  see  his  sights 
correctly.  There  is  no  better  system  of  instruc- 
tion in  this  than  that  laid  down  in  the  Firing 
Regulations.  This  form  of  instruction,  however, 
gets  monotonous  after  a  time,  and  men  should 
be  kept  at  it  only  long  enough  to  qualify.  I  be- 
lieve the  half  sight  and  the  peep  sight  should 
be  the  only  ones  taught,  and  one  or  the  other  of 
these  methods  of  sighting  should  be  insisted  up- 
on. The  use  of  the  peep  sight  should  be  encour- 
aged. This  sight  is  used  almost  exclusively  by 

—65— 


66         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 


FIGURE  10. 

Correct  Appearance  of  the  Open  and  Peep  Sights 
in  Aiming. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         67 

nearly  every  expert  shot  in  the  country.  With  it 
the  same  amount  of  front  sight  is  seen  each  time, 
thus  eliminating-  the  vertical  errors  in  shooting. 
In  different  lights  more  or  less  of  the  front  sight 
will  be  seen  when  using  the  open  rear  sight,  no 
matter  how  careful  the  rifleman  is  to  see  the 
same  amount  each  time.  Thus  with  the  open 
sight  we  have  to  t>e  continually  making  allow- 
ances for  light.  With  the  peep  sight,  however, 
the  light  question  becomes  much  simpler.  To 
use  the  peep  sight  correctly,  the  top  of  the  front 
.sight  must  be  exactly  centered  in  the  middle  of 
the  aperture  and  the  front  sight  held  just  un- 
der the  bull's-eye,  as  in  Figure  10.  The  eye  has 
a  natural  aptitude  for  centering  objects,  and  with 
a  little  practice  the  top  of  the  front  sight  will  be 
centered  exactly  without  effort.  The  middle  of 
an  aperture  always  has  more  light  than  the  sides, 
and  this  also  aids  the  centering.  If  we  were  to 
draw  the  top  of  the  front  sight  down  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  peep-hole,  we  would  have  less  light, 
and  consequently  poorer  definition,  and  we  would 
be  unable  to  see  the  same  amount  of  front  sight 
each  time. 

Some  men  have  difficulty  in  seeing  the  bull's- 
eye  distinctly  when  aiming.  It  may  appear  gray 
and  blurred.  In  this  case  center  the  bull's-eye  in 
the  peep  sight,  instead  of  the  front  sight ;  bring- 


68         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

ing  the  front  sight  to  its  correct  position  relative 
to  the  bull's-eye. 

The  open  sight  should  never  be  wholly  disre- 
garded, as  many  target  shots  often  do.  In  the 
field  the  open  sight  will  have  to  be  used  in  dim 
lights  and  against  certain  kinds  of  targets. 

When  the  recruit  has  qualified  on  the  tripod  in 
correctly  seeing  both  open  and  peep  sights,  he 
should  pass  on  to  the  position  and  aiming  drills, 
his  first  work  in  this  being  under  the  eyes  of  an 
expert  instructor  and  his  positions  being  carefully 
corrected  until  he  can  assume  them  correctly  as 
laid  down  in  the  chapter  on  "The  Firing  Posi- 
tions." The  recruit  is  then  encouraged  to  under- 
take the  trigger-pull  exercises,  and  afterwards 
the  rapid-fire  exercises  in  all  positions.  He 
should  be  taught  the  great  value  of  these  exer- 
cises not  only  to  the  beginner,  but  also  to  the 
expert  who  desires  to  keep  in  practice. 

Gloves  should  not  be  worn  during  these  drills. 
The  instructor  must  insist  that  the  men  put  all 
their  will-power  into  holding  steadily,  sighting 
correctly,  and  pulling  the  trigger  without  disturb- 
ing the  aim.  Each  man  should  use  his  own  in- 
dividual position  when  firing  standing  and  sit- 
ting, but  when  firing  kneeling  or  prone  the  stand- 
ard positions  as  given  in  Chapter  III.  should  be 
insisted  upon.  The  use  of  the  gun-sling  should 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         69 

be  made  optional  in  the  standing  position  and 
compulsory  in  all  the  others.  The  men  should 
be  taught  to  take  up  all  the  preliminary  pull  or 
safety  creep  of  the  trigger  with  the  forefinger  as 
they  raise  the  rifle  to  the  shoulder.  Canting  the 
rifle  should  be  carefully  watched  for  and  cor- 
rected. It  is  best  to  allow  the  men  to  go  through 
the  exercises  "at  will,"  instructing  them  to  con- 
tinue until  they  become  tired  or  unsteady,  and 
then  to  rest  a  couple  of  minutes  betore  resuming. 
In  a  company  the  men  should  be  tau'ght  to- 
take  advantage  of  every  opportunity  to  aim  at 
some  definite  object,  pulling  the  trigger  each 
time.  To  this  end  the  men's  barracks  should  be 
furnished  with  aiming  targets.  These  should 
be  small  targets  of  the  same  color  paper  as  the 
regular  range  targets  with  the  bull's-eye  or  rapid- 
fire  figure  inked  on  them  with  India  ink.  Tar- 
gets should  be  made  to  resemble  all  the  targets 
used  on  the  range  in  the  regular  season's  prac- 
tice, and  they  should  be  of  such  a  size  as  to  sub- 
tend the  same  visual  angle  as  do  these  targets. 
Place  those  resembling  the  short-range  targets 
at  4j^  feet  from  the  ground  for  use  in  the  stand- 
ing position,  and  others  20  inches  from  the 
ground  for  use  sitting  and  kneeling.  The  mid, 
long,  and  skirmish  targets  should  be  placed  12- 


7O         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

inches  from  the  ground  or  floor  for  use  in  firing 
prone. 

In  these  exercises  the  first  exercise  or  "posi- 
tion exercise"  is  intended  to  develop  the  mus- 
cles used  in  holding  the  rifle.  To  this  end  it 
should  be  given  as  an  exercise,  and  not  as  a  drill; 
that  is,  the  exercise  should  be  kept  up  just  to 
that  point  where  the  muscle  tires,  in  order  that 
development  may  result.  Also  it  should  be  giv- 
en last,  as  otherwise  the  men's  muscles  will  be 
too  tired  for  steady  holding  in  the  aiming  and 
trigger-pull  exercises. 

The  beginners  should  be  made  to  understand 
that  rifle-shooting  is  a  complex  science  which  re- 
quires a  large  amount  of  intelligent  practice,  and 
that  they  cannot  master  it  in  a  few  days  or  even 
in  a  season's  practice.  If  a  man  is  left  to  make 
this  discovery  for  himself,  he  is  liable  to  become 
discouraged  long  before  he  reaches  that  degree  ot 
proficiency  where  his  interest  begins  to  rise  with 
leaps  and  bounds.  I  have  been  shooting  a  rifle 
since  I  was  a  very  small  boy,  but  never  have  I 
seen  the  time  when  I  could  disregard  the  posi- 
tion and  aiming  drills. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


PRACTICE:  AND  CAUJNG  THE  SHOT. 

Gallery  practice  is  taken  up  next  after  the 
position  and  aiming  drills  have  been  thoroughly 
taught.  It  consists  in  shooting  at  short  range, 
50  feet  to  50  yards,  with  service  rifle  with  .22- 
cali'ber  barrel  or  the  regulation  rifle  with  a  re- 
duced load.  It  offers  a  different  and  more  inter- 
esting form  of  instruction  than  the  position  and 
aiming  drills,  with  the  same  object  in  view — i.  e., 
instruction  in  position,  holding,  sighting,  and 
control  of  the  trigger.  It  is  well  to  start  the  re- 
cruit in  at  50  feet  on  the,  iron  target,  for  at  this 
range  he  can  see  the  .shot  marks  and  the  prac- 
tice goes  along  quickly.  After  he  has  become 
proficient  at  this  range,  he  should  be  moved  up 
into  the  class  firing  at  50  yards  and  taught  to 
"call  his  shots."  This  is  where  the  great  bene- 
fit of  gallery  practice  comes  in.  Until  a  man  can 
call  his  shots  he  is  a  very  poor  marksman,  and 
indeed  he  cannot  be  coached  into  a  better  one. 
By  "calling  the  shot"  is  meant  the  telling  the  in- 

—71— 


72         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

structor  by  the  marksman  the  exact  point  on 
the  target  upon  which  the  sights  were  aligned 
at  the  instant  the  rifle  exploded.  The  marksman 
-must  form  the  habit  of  holding  as  steadily  as 
possible  and  gradually  increasing  the  pressure 
on  the  trigger,  and  then,  just  at  the  instant  the 
gun  goes  off,  he  must  catch  in  his  mind  a  pict- 
ure of  where  the  sights  were  aligned,  where  the 
rifle  was  aimed,  at  that  instant.  The  recruit  can- 
not hold  steadily;  his  front  sight  seems  to  wan- 
der aimlessly  over  the  bull's-eye  and  four  rings 
of  the  target  while  he  tries  to  pull  the  trigger  off 
carefully ;  then  suddenly  the  recoil  shuts  the  tar- 
get from  view.  It  is  the  point  where  the  top 
of  the  front  sight  was  the  quarter-second  before 
the  recoil  shut  it  out  of  view  that  should  be 
called.  Immediately  after  having  fired,  he  calls 
to  the  instructor  where  he  held  or  where  he  ex- 
pects hife  shot  to  go,  thus:  "A  '4'  at  3  o'clock/' 
"A  bull  at  7  o'clock,"  "A  bull  in  the  center,"  "A 
good  hold  a  little  towards  5:30  o'clock,"  or,  "I 
got  off  just  right/'  "A  trifle  low,"  "At  7  o'clock," 
etc.  If  the  rifle  is  correctly  sighted  and  the  man 
has  called  his  shot  correctly,  the  bullet  should  hit 
the  target  at  the  spot  the  man  called.  If  it  does 
not  do  so  and  the  man  is  sure  of  his  call,  he 
should  alter  his  elevation  and  wind-gauge  an 
amount  corresponding  to  the  distance  and  direc- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         73 

tion  of  the  hit  from  the  point  of  call.  Or,  if  he 
is  sure  that  the  gun  was  correctly  aimed  to  hit 
the  bull's-eye  in  the  center  and  his  shot  is  marked 
a  "4"  at  8  o'clock,  he  must  raise  his  elevation- 
enough  to  make  the  next  shot  fall  in  a  horizontal 
line  intersecting  the  center  of  the  bull's-eye,  and 
move  his  wind-gauge  to  the  right  enough  to 
make  the  next  shot  fall  in  a  vertical  line  inter- 
secting the  bull's-eye.  Then,  if  the  next  shot  is 
correctly  aimed,  it  should  hit  dead  center. 

Under  no  circumstances  should  a  man  be  al- 
lowed to  hold  on  any  part  of  the  target  other 
than  the  bull's-eye  to  correct  an  error  in  sight- 
adjustment.  The  sight  must  always  be  moved 
to  correct  this  error.  One  should  always  hold 
with  the  front  sight  just  below  the  bull's- 
eye  at  6  o'clock.  The  firont  sight  should  not 
touch  the  bull's-eye  and  a  little  strip  of  white 
target  should  always  show  between  the  top  of 
the  front  sight  and  the  bottom  of  the  bull's-eye. 
This  strip  of  white  should  be  of  equal  thickness 
for  each  shot,  as  in  Figure  9.  It  is  of  the  great- 
est importance  that  men  be  taught  to  alwavs  aim 
m  this  manner,  and  it  must  be  thoroughlv  im- 
pressed upon  them  at  the  very  beginning  of  their 
instruction.  So  important  is  this  that,  when  dis- 
covered, any  departure  from  this  iron-clad  rule 


74         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

should  be  an  occasion  for  strict  disciplinary 
measures. 

A  recruit  should  never,  if  it  can  be  avoided, 
be  allowed  to  take  up  range  practice  until  he 
has  learned  to  call  his  shots ;  otherwise  it  is  sim- 
ply a  waste  of  ammunition.  It  is  necessary  in 
teaching  this  that  the  target  be  removed  to  such 
a  distance  that  the  men  cannot  see  the  bullet- 
holes;  otherwise  they  will  call  them  instead  of 
their  points  of  holding.  For  the  same  reason  the 
target  should  not  be  marked  for  about  ten  sec- 
onds after  the  shot  has  been  fired.  The  bright 
men  of  the  company  will  learn  to  call  their  shots 
very  quickly ;  others  may  take  a  long  time  to 
learn  it.  It  is  thus  well  to  start  gallery  practice 
very  early  in  the  season,  so  that  all  men  may  be 
Qualified  before  the  time  for  range  practice. 
Too  much  gallery  practice  cannot  be  given.  In- 
terest may  be  kept  up  by  competitions,  prizes, 
and  privileges  for  the  best  shots. 

The  regulation  gallery  rifle  is  the  .22-caliber 
U.  S.  Magazine  Rifle,  Model  1903,  using  the  .22- 
caliber  short  smokeless  cartridge.  It  is  exactly 
the  same  as  the  regular  rifle,  except  that  it  has 
a  .22-caliber  barrel.  The  cartridges  are  loaded 
into  "holders,"  which  are  steel  chambers  similar 
in  shape  to  the  regular  cartridge.  These  holders 
are  loaded  into  the  rifle  in  exactly  the  same  man- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         75 

ner  as  the  regular  cartridge,  and  the  rifle  can  be 
used  as  well  for  rapid  fire  as  for  slow  fire.  The 
rifle  is  extremely  accurate  at  50  feet,  the  range 
for  which  it  is  intended.  The  ammunition  is 
very  cheap  and  has  a  penetration  at  this  range 
of  about  4  inches  in  dry  pine.  The  arm  is  a 
'most  excellent  one  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  designed — namely,  for  gallery  practice  in 
the  instruction  of  recruits.  It  has  the  same  ac- 
tion, sights,  balance,  and  feel  as  the  regular 
service  rifle  and  is  loaded  in  the  same  manner, 
making  one  perfectly  familiar  with  the  rifle  he 
will  use  in  the  regular  season's  practice  and  in 
the  field. 

The  finished  expert,  however,,  will  not  be  fully 
satisfied  with  this  rifle  for  his  winter  work  and 
gallery  practice  in  keeping  in  form.  It  is  not 
accurate  enough  at  ranges  over  50  feet  to  do 
justice  to  the  holding  of  a  really  good  shot,  and 
such  men  quickly  lose  their  interest  in  work 
with  this  rifle.  There  are  two  gallery  rifles  on 
the  market  at  the  present  time  using  .22-caliber 
ammunition  which  are  accurate  enough  up  to 
200  yards  to  fulfill  the  requirements  of  the  most 
exacting.  One  is  the  Krag  rifle,  fitted  with  a 
.22-caliber  Stevens-Pope  barrel  by  the  J.  Stevens 
Arms  and  Tool  Company  of  Chicopee  Falls, 
Mass.  The  riflemen  must  furnish  his  own  Krag 


76         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

action,  stock,  sights,  etc.,  the  Stevens  Company 
furnishing  only  the  barrel,  and  mounting  it  in 
the  action.  Many  of  the  States  have  procured 
and  adopted  this  rifle  for  gallery  practice.  The 
other  rifle  is  the  .22-caliber  Winchester,  single- 
shot  rifle,  equipped  with  the  same  sights  as  the 
Krag  rifle  (Model  1901,  rear  slight)  and  having 
a  musket  stock.  It  is  made  by  the  Winchester 
Repeating  Arms  Company  of  New  Haven,  Conn. 
Both  these  rifles  use  the  .22  long  rifle  cartridge 
(not  to  be  confused  with  the  .22  long,  which  is 
an  inferior  cartridge),  and  they  will  shoot  ac- 
curately enough  to  group  ten  shots  inside  a  half- 
inch  circle  at  25  yards,  or  in  fair  weather  will 
place  all  their  shots  in  the  regulation  bull's-eye 
at  200  yards.  Black  powder  cartridges  of  stand- 
ard make  are  better  than  those  loaded  with 
smokeles's  powder.  Smokeless  powder  has  a 
very  corrosive  effect  in  .22-caliber  rifles.  The 
cleaning  should  immediately  follow  any  use  of 
-the  rifle  and  ought  to  be  very  thorough,  us- 
ing "Powder  SWvent  No.  9"  if  possible,  and  it 
should  be  repeated  daily  for  several  days.  These 
special  gallery  rifles  are  not  adapted  to  maga- 
zine fire,  and  are  not  as  suitable  for  company 
work  as  the  regulation  .22-caliber  rifle. 

The  gallery  rifle  has  one  disadvantage,  how- 
ever, in  that  the  marksman  using  it  does  not 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         77 

become  familiar  with  the  trigger-pull  and  feel 
of  his  own  rifle — the  one  he  will  have  to  use  on 
the  range  and  in  the  field.  Gallery  practice  is 
not  to  be  considered  only  for, recruit  instruction. 
It  is  of  great  value  to  the  good  shots  also.  The 
latter  can,  by  its  aid,  keep  up  his  practice  during 
the  winter  months  and  in  inclement  weather. 
There  is  a  saying,  "Beware  of  the  man  with  one 
gun,"  which  is  a  mighty  true  one.  To  become 
really  expert  with  the  rifle,  one  must  use  his 
piece  until  it  becomes  almost  a  part  of  himself; 
must  know  its  trigger-pull,  bolt,  action,  feel,  bal- 
ance, sights,  and  peculiarities  as  he  knows  the 
alphabet.  Thus  the  very  best  can  be  obtained 
from  gallery  practice  only  when  one  uses  in  it 
the  rifle  he  intends  to  use  on  the  range  and  to 
stake  Ms  reputation  on.  Reloading  reduced  am- 
munition for  the  .3O-caliber  barrel  was  tried  in 
the  regular  Army  for  years  and  was  never  satis- 
factorily done  in  a  company,  and  for  such  use  it 
is  not  recommended.  To  produce  a  satisfactory 
short  range  .3O-caliber  load  requires  special  tools 
and  great  care,  and  is  indeed  a  special  study  in 
itself.  The  load  must  be  accurate  enough  to  do 
justice  to  the  holding  of  a  good  shot.  In  other 
words,  it  must  be  capable  of  shooting  into  the 
same  hole  at  50  feet  or  into  a  i-inch  circle  at 
50  yards.  It  must  not  wear  the  barrel,  and  must 


78         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

not  be  too  strong  for  indoor  use.  It  must  also 
1  be  cleanly  enough  to  use  without  having  to  clean 
the  rifle  during  the  practice.  The  loading  of  f  e- 
rduced  ammunition  is  discussed  in  Chapter  XVII. 
These  loads  have  also  the  advantages  that  they 
can  be  used  for  rapid  fire  and  are  almost  as 
cheap'  as  the  .22-caliber  ammunition.  Many  of 
them  are  accurate  up  to  200  yards  and  even  be- 
yond. A  .22-caliber  rifle  cannot  be  used  with 
satisfaction  at  ranges  over  50  yards  in  high 
winds.  With  reduced  ammunition  one  can  also 
use  a  miniature  skirmish  range  exactly  similiar 
to  the  regular  range,  but  the  targets,  halting- 
places,  etc.,  reduced  in  proportion,  so  that  the 
range  will  have  a  total  length  of  200  or  any  oth- 
er number  of  yards. 

Gallery  ranges  are  easily  made.  Bullet-stops 
may  consfet  of  10  inches  of  wood,  sand-bags,  or 
a  %-inch  iron  plate.  The  regular  iron  target  is- 
sued by  the  Ordnance  Department  may  be  used, 
or  preferably  paper  targets  tacked  on  a  wood 
framework  set  up  just  in  font  of  the  bullet-stop. 
Or  you  may  go  all  the  way  to  a  miniature  range 
exactly  like  the  regular  range,  with  butts,  mark- 
ers' shelters,  sliding  target  frames,  and  wind- 
flags.  Indoor  targets  may  be  lighted  by  lamps 
with  reflectors  placed  just  in  front  of  and  to  one 
side  of  the  target,  so  that  their  light  will  be 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         79 

thrown  thereon.  The  best  galleries  are  fitted 
with  a  trolley  arrangement  whereby  the  targets 
can  be  run  down  to  the  butt  and  back  to  the  fir- 
ing-point by  hand,  thus  obviating  the  necessity 
of  having  a  man  near  the  target.  The  location 
of  bullet-holes  can  be  ascertained  by  having  a 
cheap,  powerful  telescope  trained  on  the  target 
and  rigidly  fixed  alongside  the  firing-point. 

If  reduced  loads  are  used,  steel  plates  may  be 
set  behind  the  targets  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees, 
thus  throwing  the  bullets  down  into  a  sand-box 
below,  where  they  can  be  gathered  up  and  re- 
moulded, thus  making  a  saving  in  lead. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE  SIGHTS  AND  THEIR  ADJUSTMENT. 

The  front  sight  of  the  .service  rifle  consists  of 
an  immovable  piece  of  steel  like  a  knife  blade. 
When  viewed  from  the  rear,  the  top  appears 
square  and  has  a  uniform  thickness  from  base 
to  top  of  approximately  .05  inch.  It  is  secured 
to  the  front  sight  movable  stud  by  a  pin.  The 
front  sight  movable  stud  is  secured  to  the  front 
sight  stud  by  a  slot.  The  rifle  is  targeted  at  the 
arsenal  and  the  front  sight  movable  stud  is  ad- 
justed laterally  in  this  slot  until  the  rifle  shoots 
dorrectly  with  the  wind-gauge  of  the  rear  sight 
set  at  zero.  A  screw  is  then  run  through  the 
stud  into  the  movable  stud,  holding  the  latter  im- 
movable. The  front  sight  also  is  made  higher 
than  necessary  at  the  arsenal  and  is  filed  down 
during  targeting  until  the  rifle  shoots  correctly. 
This  targeting  is  done  at  200  yards,  and  the  rifle 
as  sent  from  the  arsenal  shoots  correctly  at  that 
range  with  the  rear  sight  elevated  to  200  yards 
and  the  wind-gauge  at  zero.  However,  as  we 
will  see  later,  peculiarities  in  eyesight  or  aiming 

—80— 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         81 

may  make  a  slightly  different  adujstment  neces- 
sary with  some  men. 

The  present  rear  sight  is  known  as  the  Model 
1905  and  has  adjustments  both  vertically  and 
laterally  for  elevation  and  windage.  When  the 
rear  sight  leaf  is  raised,  three  sights  appear. 
The  upper  open  sight  is  adjustable  for  ranges 
from  1400  to  2775  yjards.  The  lower  open 
sight  in  the  triangle  of  the  drift  slide  is  adjust- 
able for  ranges  from  100  to  2450  yards.  The 
peep  sight  in  the  lower  part  of  the  drift  slide  is 
adjustable  for  ranges  from  100  to  2350  yards. 
There  is  also  an  open  sight  on  the  extreme  top 
of  the  leaf  for  2850  yards,  being  the  extreme 
range,  for  which  the  rifle  is  sighted.  The  leaf 
is  so  designed  that  as  the  slide  is  raised  for  in- 
creased ranges  the  drift  slide  moves  laterally 
to  the  left  to  correct  for  the  drift  of  the  rifle. 
When  the  leaf  is  laid  down  flat,  an  open  sight 
only  appears,  which  is  known  as  the  "battle, 
sight."  This  sight  is  permanently  fixed  for  530 
yards,  or  about  the  danger  space  of  the  rifle.  The 
wind-gauge  graduations  appear  just  to  the  rear 
of  the  leaf,  eaoh  line  of  the  graduations  being 
called  a  point,  and  each  third  line  being  longer 
than  the  others.  The  wind-gauge  is  actuated  by 
the  windage  screw  at  the  forward  end  of  the 
base.  The  leaf  is  graduated  from  100  to  2850 


H 

e 

o 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         83 

yards,  the  graduations  for  the  odd-numbered 
ranges  being  on  the  right  and  those  for  the 
even-numbered  on  the  left.  A  reference  to  Fig- 
ure ii  will  make  this  description  clear. 

Next  to  the  muzzle,  the  sights  of  a  rifle  are 
its  most  delicate  and  important  part,  and  all  men 
should  be  taught  to  guard  them  with  the  great- 
est care,  especially  from  blows  which  would 
knock  them  out  of  alignment. 

Accuracy  in  the  setting  of  the  sights  is  of  the 
greatest  importance  in  good  shooting.  The  front 
and  rear  sights  are  22.1254  inches  apart,  which 
distance  is  called  the  "sight  radius."  Now  if  we 
fcnove  the  rear  sight  up  ,or  down  a  distance  of 
1-150  inch,  we  will  move  the  bullet  or  hit  on 
the  target  approximately  i  inch  (actually  1.084 
inches)  for  every  100  yards  of  range.  That  is,  a 
change  in  elevation  of  1-150  inch  will  raise  or 
lower  the  position  of  the  hit  on  the  target  2 
inches  at  200  yards,  5  inches  at  500  yards,  cr  10 
inches  at  1000  yards.  In  like  manner  we  may 
find  what  any  move  on  the  slight  will  give  on 
the  target  by  the  formula : 

Movement  of  Range 

Sight  in  inches        in  inches 

—Move  of  hit  on  target. 

Sight  radius  (22.1254  in.) 


84         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

An  adjustment  of  sights  to  the  fineness  of  i- 
150  inch  is  almost  absolutely  necessary  in  fine 
target  work,  but  there  are  very  few  men  indeed 
who  can  see  to  elevate  or  lower  their  sights  an 
amount  even  as  small  as  .01  inch.  The  distance 
between  elevation  marks  can,  however,  readily  be 
divided  into  four  equal  parts,  giving  an  elevation 
reading  to  25  yards.  Consulting  the  table  of 
sight-adjustments  at  the  end  of  this  chapter,  we 
wiill  see  that  if  we  are  shooting  at  500  yards 
with  a  sight  elevation  of  500  yards,  and  we  raise 
our  elevation  to  525  yards,  our  next  shot  will 
strike  6.2  inches  higher  than  the  preceding  one. 

A  rifle  will  seldom  be  found  which  will  hit  the 
bull's-eye  in  the  center  with  the  sights  set  at  the 
exact  elevation  for  the  range.  The  difference  in 
temperature  and  barometer  from  that  prevailing 
on  the  day  at  the  arsenal  when  the  rifle  was 
targeted,  the  difference  in  the  velocity  and  fit  of 
ammunition,  of  light,  of  peculiarities  in  aiming, 
the  .effect  of  mirage  on  the  target,  metal  fouling 
in  the  bore,  and  the  personal  equation  of  the  rifle- 
man are  all  causes  which  may  make  as  much 
difference  as  100  yards  in  the  elevation  required 
for  a  certain  rifle  and  man.  Thus  an  individual 
may  find  that  when  shooting  at  500  yards  his 
sights  will  have  to  be  set  at  an  elevation  of  575 
yards  in  order  to  make  a  center  bull's-eye  when 
aiming  and  pulling  the  trigger  correctly. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         85 

Most  expert  riflemen  have  found  it  far  better 
to  use  a  small  instrument  called  a  "micrometer 
sight-adjuster"  in  adjusting  the  sights  for  eleva- 
tion than  to  rely  on  the  uncertainty  of  adjust- 
ing them  by  eye  and  hand.  These  instruments 
snap  on  the  sight  and  by  means  of  a  micrometer 
screw  and  scale  can  be  adjusted  to  read  1-150 
inch ;  thus  the  sight  can  be  elevated  to  read 
inches  on  the  target,  and  the  very  fine  adjust- 
ments can  be  recorded  and  the  sights  accurately 
set  at  them  again.  This  is  a  great  advantage  in 
fine  target  work.  For  instance,  a  man  finds  his 
average  elevation  for  600  yards  to  read  38  min- 
utes on  the  micrometer.  He  fires  hi's  first  shot 
with  his  slights  set  at  38  minutes  and  it  strikes 
1 8  inches  below  the  center  of  the  bull's-eye. 
Now  if  he  raises  his  sight  3  minutes,  or  from  38 
to  4'i,  using  the  micrometer,  he  knows  positively 
that  if  he  gets  his  shot  off  the  same  as  the  first 
one,  other  conditions  being  the  same,  it  will 
strike  18  inches  higher,  or  in  the  center  of  the 
bull's-eye,  for  i  minute  or  1-150  inch  additional 
elevation  will  raise  hfe  shot  6  inches  at  600  yards. 
His  correct  elevation  at  600  yards  may  be  38 
minutes,  corresponding-  as  nearly  as  he  can  see 
to  a  reading  of  640  yards  on  the  sight;  but  with- 
out the  micrometer  he  cannot  be  positive  that 
he  sets  his  sight  at  exactly  this  point. 

It  has  been  often  asserted  that  the  micrometer 


86         Suggestions  to  MUitary  Riflemen. 

sight-adjuster  is  not  a  military  instrument,  that 
i(t  could  not  be  used  in  the  field  in  action,  and 
that  its  use  should  therefore  be  prohibited.  Let 
us  take  the  time  here  to  look  into  this  matter  a 
little.  Without  the  micrometer  the  error  of  set- 
ting the  sights  will  be  about  .01  inch,  that  hav- 
ing been  found  to  be  as  close  as  the  human  eye 
unaided  is  capable  of  making  an  adjustment.  It 
has  also  been  found  that  the  error  of  the  hu- 
<man  eye  in  aiming  with  non-magnifying  sights 
is  just  about  i  inch  for  each  100  yards,  or  5 
inches  at  500  yards  and  10  inches  at  1000  yards. 
To  these  we  must  also  add  the  mean  vertical  and 
horizontal  deviation  of  the  rifle  or  the  radius  of 
the  shot  group,  and  we  get  the  following  table 
of  approximate  accuracy  of  the  rifle : 


Range. 
Yards. 

Error  of 
Sight  Ad- 
justment. 

Inches. 

Error  of 
Aim. 

Inches. 

Mean  Verti- 
cal and  Hor- 
izontal De- 
viation. 
Inches. 

Approximate 
Accuracy  of 
Fire  Radius  of 
Shot  Group. 
Inches. 

IOO 

1.62 

I. 

.8 

342 

2OO 

3.24 

2. 

1.6 

6.84 

300 

4.86 

3- 

2.4 

IO.26 

40O 

6.48 

4- 

3-3       1     13-78   ' 

5OO 

8.10            5. 

4.2 

17.30 

6OO 

9.72           6. 

S-i 

2O.82 

700 

11.34 

7 

6. 

24.34 

800 

12.96 

s! 

7- 

27.96 

QOO 

14,58 

9. 

7-9 

31-48 

1000 

16.27 

IO. 

8.9 

35.17 

Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         87 

From  this  table  it  will  be  seen  that  the  best 
shots,  unaided  by  so-called  "refinements,"  will 
not  be  sure  of  hitting  a  man  lying-  down  at  400 
yards,  or  of  hitting  the  regulation  bull's-eye  at 
any  range,  and  if  he  does  his  very  best,  he  will 
just  be  able  to  keep  all  his  shots  on  the  target 
at  1000  yards.  It  would  certainly  seem  that  the 
Nation  will  never  be  satisfied  with  this  degree  of 
accuracy  for  its  riflemen.  The  use  of  the  mi- 
crometer si^ht-adjuster  eliminates  the  greatest 
source  of  this  error  and  shows  the  great  need 
of  this  instrument  even  in  the  field,  or,  better 
still,  of  a  slight  modification  of  our  otherwise 
perfect  sight  having  a  simple  micrometer  adjust- 
ment incorporated  in  it.  One  sight  modified  in 
this  manner  has  already  been  made  by  the  Ord- 
nance Department  and  the  prospects  for  its  adop- 
tion seem  very  good.  The  table  also  shows  the 
need  of  a  telescope  sight  which  would  eleminate 
the  error  of  aim,  and  the  accuracy  of  the  rifle- 
man would  then  depend  only  on  the  uniformity 
of  the  ammunition. 

There  are  three  forms  of  micrometer  sight- 
adjusters  on  the  market  at  present:  the  Stevens- 
Pope  Sight  Micrometer  (see  Figure  12),  which 
snaps  on  the  sight  and  is  held  by  springs,  procur- 
able from  the  T.  Stevens  Arms  and  Tool  Com- 
pany, Chicopee  Falls,  Mass. ;  the  British  Sight 


w 

& 


GQ 

rH 

s 


tf 
P 

O 


bJO 
53 


> 

& 


§ 

53 


"8 


tf 


Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen. 


FIGURE  14.— The  Ideal  Micrometer  Sight  Gauge. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         91 

Vernier  (see  Figure  13),  sold  by  Thomas  J. 
Conroy,  28  John  Street,  New  York  city ;  and  the 
Ideal  Micrometer  Sight  Gauge  (see  Figure  14), 
made  by  the  Ideal  Manufacturing  Company,  New 
Haven,  Conn.  H.  M.  Pope,  of  18  Morris  Street, 
Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  has  also  made  a  few  mi- 
crometers of  most  excellent  design  and  work- 
manship. 

So  far,  we  have  considered  only  the  elevation 
adjustment  of  the  sight.  The  windage  adjust- 
ment, however,  is  of  just  as  much  importance. 
It  gives  the  correction  for  horizontal  errors  and 
the  allowance  to  compensate  for  the  effect  of 
wind  on  the  flight  of  the  bullet.  To  move  the 
location  of  the  hit  to  the  right,  move  the  wind- 
gauge  to  the  right,  and  vice  versa.  The  divi- 
sibns  on  this  wind-gauge  are  called  "points,"  and 
for  convenience  are  divided  into  series  of  three. 
On  the  Model  1905  Sight  these  points  are  0.0267 
inch  apart ;  therefore,  moving  the  wind-gauge  I 
pfoint  will  move  the  bullet  4  inches  on  the  tar- 
get for  every  100  yards  of  range,  as  will  be  seen 
in  the  table  of  sight-adjustments.  It  sometimes 
happens  that  the  zero  of  the  wind-gauge  is  not 
the  true  zero  of  the  rifle,  for  the  same  reasons 
that  a  rifle  does  not  always  shoot  correctly  with 
the  rear  sight  adjusted  for  the  exact  range. 
Some  rifles  may  have  to  have  the  wind-gauge 


92         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

adjusted  to  as  much  as  i  point  right  or  left  of 
the  zero  on  the  scale  to  shoot  into  a  vertical 
line  drawn  through  the  center  of  the  bull's-eye 
when  there  is  no  wind  blowing  and  the  gun  is 
correctly  aimed.  Up  to  the  present  time  no  mi- 
crometer adjuster  has  been  made  for  the  wind- 
gauge,  and  experience  has  proven  that  it  is  not 
so  much  needed  here  as  on  the  elevating  scale. 
A  point  on  the  wind-gauge  can  easily  be  divided 
into  quarters  by  the  eye  alone  and  this  will  give 
an  adjustment  of  i  inch  at  the  target  for  each 
100  yards  of  range.  One-fourth  of  a  turn  ot 
the  wind-gauge  screw  will  move  the  wind-gauge 
i  point,  and  one-sixteenth  of  a  turn  will  move 
it  one-fourth  of  a  point,  which  is  the  same  ad- 
justment that  i  minute  on  the  micrometer  gives. 
Let  us  take  an  example  of  sight-adjustment. 
Suppose  the  rifleman  is  firing  at  800  yards  with 
an  elevation  of  825  yards  and  a  windage  of  2 
points  to  the  left.  On  the  first  shot  he  gets 
a  "3"  at  10  o'clock,  and  the  location  of  this  shot 
appears  to  be  20  inches  above  the  center  of  the 
bull's-eye  and  33  inches  to  the  left  of  the  center. 
M  he  now  reduces  his  elevation  33  yards,  or  to 
792  yards,  and  moves  his  wind-gauge  i  point 
to  the  right,  or  to  i  point  left  (see  "Table  of 
Sight-Adjustments"),  and  if  the  weather  condi- 
tions remain  the  same  and  he  gets  his  shot  off 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         93 

correctly,  he  should  get  a  hi;t  very  near  the  cen- 
ter of  the  bull's-eye.  Of  course,  one  cannot  ad- 
just his  elevation  to  any  such  reading  as  792 
yards,  but  he  makes  a  try  at  it,  and  gets  it  just 
a  hair's  breadth  below  800  yards,  and  has  to 
be  satisfied  with  that.  He  may  have  struck  the 
correct  elevation,  or  he  may  be  as  much  as  a 
foot  out. 

If  he  was  using  the  micrometer  adjuster  and 
his  elevation  for  the  first  shot  read  49  minutes, 
he  would  reduce  it  to  463^2  minutes  to  lower  the 
next  hit  20  inches,  which  would  give  exactly  that 
result. 

If,  however,  the  rifleman  was  ignorant  of  the 
value  of  movements  on  the  sights — -that  is,  if  he 
had  no  "Table  of  Sight-Adjustments"  and  no  mi- 
crometer, he  might  make  too  large  or  too  small  a 
move,  and  instead  of  getting  a,  bull  for  his  sec- 
ond shot,  he  would  be  just  as  liable  to  get  a  "3" 
or  a  "4,"  and  a  continuation  of  this  kind  of  guess- 
work would  ruin  his  score.  Thousands  of  scores 
and  hopes  for  high  qualifications  are  ruined  ev- 
ery year  in  this  manner.  Given  good  muscles 
and  good  eyes,  all  men  soon  learn  to  hold  fairly 
steady,  especially  in  the  prone  position.  There 
is  really  very  little  difference  between  the  hold- 
ing of  a  first-class  shot  and  a  very  poor  shot 
who  has  been  taught  to  assume  a  fairly  correct 


94         Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

position.  The  good  shot,  however,  calls  his 
shots  and  moves  his  sights  the  correct  amount, 
and  after  the  first  shot  or  so  gets  mostly  "45" 
and  "5s";  while  the  poor  shot  scatters  all  his 
shots  over  the  target  and  perhaps  gets  a  couple 
of  misses.  We  thus  see  the  great  importance  of 
fine  and  accurate  sight-adiustment  and  the  val- 
ue of  the  tables  given.  The  shooting  of  a  mod- 
ern rifle  is  fust  as  much  a  matter  of  education 
and  study  as  it  is  of  good  holding,  aiming,  and 
pulling  trigger,  and  this  point  must  not  be  over- 
looked in  the  selection  and  training  of  recruits. 
Another  great  advantage  in  using  the  microm- 
eter is,  that  having  found  the  correct  elevation 
for  one  range,  we  can  tell  almost  exactly,  by 
reference  to  the  "Table  of  Rises  of  Elevation  on 
the  Milcrometer,"  what  the  elevation  for  the  oth- 
er ranges  will  be.  Thus  if  we  have  been  firing  at 
600  yards  for  the  first  time  with  a  new  rifle  and 
have  found  the  elevation  to  be  38  minutes,  and 
we  then  desire  to  fire  at  800  yards,  never  having 
fired  the  rifle  there  before,  we  will  see  from  the 
table  that  if  we  raise  our  elevation  12  minutes, 
or  to  50  minutes,  we  will  have  almost  exactly 
the  right  elevation  for)  that  range.  This  is 
particularly  advantageous  in  getting  elevations 
for  a  skirmish  run,  a  few  trifal  shots  at  200  and 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.'        95 

600  yards  giving  the  data  from  which  the  ele- 
vations for  all  the  ranges  can  be  worked  out. 

To  be  well  defined  to  the  eye  without  blur  or 
glimmer,  the  sights  must  not  be  bright,  and  to 
show  up  well  against  the  white  target  in  aiming, 
they  should  be  black.  To  obtain  this  dull  black 
color,  most  riflemen  smoke  their  sights  in  the 
smoke  of  a  candle  or  a  small  piece  of  camphor. 
Some  riflemen  prefer  to  paint  their  sights  with  a 
liquid  sight  black.  Dr.  Hudson's  formula  for 
sight  black  is  as  follows  : 

Ivory  black  "B"  in  japan    (a   black  paste, 
obtainable  from  dealers  in  painters'  sup- 
plies in  i -pound  cans),  5  ounces. 
Gasoline,  76  test,  12  fluid  ounces. 

Add  the  gasoline  little  by  little  to  the  paste, 
mixing  thoroughly  after  each  addition.  If  it  is 
found  to  dry  with  any  gloss  whatever,  there  is 
too  much  "binder"  in  the  paste ;  to  correct  this, 
add  to  the  paste  a  little  powdered  lampblack  and 
work  up  thoroughly  with  the  first  portion  of  the 
gasoline,  which  is  added.  Gasoline  is  used  to 
thin  down  the  paste  because  of  its  quick-drying 
properties.  This  mixture  will  dry  on  the  sights 
in  a  few  seconds. 

If  the  sights  are  smoked,  they  should  be  wiped 
free  of  all  oil,  and  the  elevation  and  windage 
scales  should  be  carefully  wiped  free  of  black,  so 


96        .Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

that  they  can  be  easily  seen.  No  good  work  can 
be  done  with  bright  sights,  and  men  should  never 
be  allowed  to  come  to  the  firing-point  without 
their  sights  blackened. 


OF  SIGHT-  ADJUSTMENTS. 
Model  1905  Sight 


Range. 

Value  on  the  Tar- 

Value on  the  Tar- 

Value on  the 

get  of  a  change 
of  25  Yards  in 

get  of  a  change 
of  1  Point  in 

Target  of  a 
change  of  1 

Elevation. 

Windage. 

Min.  of  Mi- 

crometer 

Eleva- 

tion. 

Yards. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

IOO 

0.7 

4- 

I. 

2OO 

1.6 

8. 

2. 

300 

2.8 

12. 

3- 

400 

4-3 

1  6. 

4- 

500 

6.2 

20. 

5- 

600 

8.6 

24. 

6. 

7OO 

1  1.6 

28. 

7- 

800 

154 

32. 

8. 

900 

19.9 

36. 

9- 

IOOO 

25-1 

40. 

10. 

Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         97 

TABLE  OF  RISES  OF  ELEVATION  ON  THE 
MICROMETER. 

For  ammunition  manufactured  at  the  Frank- 
ford  Arsenal  with  i5O-grain  sharp-pointed  bul- 
let at  78  feet  from  the  muzzle,  of  about  2640 
feet. 

From  200  to  300  yards  ris£  3.'    with  micrometer. 
"     300  "  350 


350 

11  400 

2/ 

400 

"  5°° 

"  4/ 

500 

"  600 

4-3' 

600 

"  800 

"  12.'    " 

800 

"  900 

M   7/    » 

900 

"  IOOO 

»    O  /      V 

O. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

AND  Z^RO. 


We  have  seen  in  the  previous  chapter  that  a 
gun  is  seldom  correctly  sighted  for  a  given 
range  at  the  exact  elevatipn  as  marked  on  the 
sight.  A  rifleman  shooting  a  new  rifle  changes 
the  elevation  on  his  sights  until  the  rifle  is  shoot- 
ing steadily  into  the  bull's-eye.  He  then  records 
the  reading  on  the  sight  or  micrometer  as  the  ele- 
vation for  that  range  and  for  the  ammunition 
he  was  then  using.  It  is  actually  a  fact,  as  will 
be  seen  later,  that  ammunition  manufactured  on 
different  days  or  on  different  machines  will  re- 
quire different  elevations.  It  is  also  a  fact  that 
different  weather  conditions  will  require  differ- 
ent elevations  with  the  same  man,  gun,  and 
ammunition.  The  expert  shot  determines  the 
elevation  for  a  new  rifle  on  a  day  having  aver- 
age or  normal  weather  conditions  for  the  local- 
ity in  which  he  is  shooting.  He  carefully  re- 
cords in  his  score-book,  opposite  this  elevation, 
the  exact  weather  conditions  existing  at  the  time 
of  firing,  and  it  then  becomes  his  "normal  eleva- 
tion," from  which  he  adds  or  subtracts  to  obtain 


—98— 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         99 

his  actual  elevation  under  changed  weather  con- 
ditions. Elevations  are  subject  to  many  changes, 
dauses  for  which  may  be  laid  to  the  following: 

Differences  in  ammunition, 

Temperature  of  air  and  rifle, 

Light, 

Mirage, 

Barometer, 

Hygrometer. 

Condition  of  the  bore  of  the  rifle, 

Condition  of  the  eyes, 

Differences    in    position    and    hardness    of 

holding. 

A  rifle  also  changes  its  normal  elevation  from 
time  to  time.  A  new  rifle  is  constantly  chang- 
ing until  the  bare  loses  the  polish  which  the  tools 
gave  i't  during  manufacture  and  takes  on  the 
polish  which  the  bullets  passing  through  give 
it.  The  elevation  of  a  modern  rifle  remains  most 
constant  between  the  two-hundredth  and  the 
twelve-hundredth  shot,  provided  the  barrel  is 
well  taken  care  of.  The  effect  of  temperature, 
light,  mirage,  barometer,  and  hygrometer  upon 
elevations  will  be  considered  later.  Most  guns 
which  are  bored  near  the  standard  size  (.308 
inch)  have  certain  peculiarities  of  grouping 
their  shots.  If  the  barrel  is  clean  and  coated 
with  oil,  the  first  shot  wiHl  go  quite  a  little  higher 


ioo        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen, 

than  the  succeeding  group  and  perhaps  a  trifle 
wild.  This  is  owing  to  the  lubricatron  in  the 
bore,  which  is  burnt  out  after  the  first  shot.  Af- 
ter the  first  shot  the  gun  will  group  its  shots  very 
steadily  in  one  spot.  If  the  barrel  be  clean  and 
perfectly  dry  and  free  from  oil,  or  if  it  be  clean, 
dry,  and  the  bullet  coated  with  Acheson  graphite, 
there  will  be  no  difference  between  the  point  of 
impact  of  the  first  and  succeeding  shots.  A  rifle 
having  the  bullets  coated  with  Acheson  graphite 
will  require  a  trifle  lower  elevation  than  when 
the  graphite  is  not  used.  If  the  rifle  is  fired  very 
rapidly  and  the  barrel  gets  very  hot,  the  bullets 
will  strike  higher. 

It  used  to  be  thought  that  a  shot  fired  from 
a  clean,  cold,  dry  barrel  would  ,go  higher  than 
the  succeeding  group.  I  have  watched  carefully 
for  this  during  the  last  four  years  of  practice, 
and  have  been  unable  to  find  any  difference  be- 
tween the  point  of  impact  of  a  clean,  cold  dry 
barrel  and  the  same  barrel  where  fairly  warm 
and  fouled. 

There  seems  to  be  a  tendency  for  some  pow- 
ders to  deposit  more  of  a  stkkv  fouling  in  the 
bore  than  others.  As  this  fouling  accumulates 
the  shots  will  drop  lower  and  lower  on  the  tar- 
get, requiring  the  sights  to  be  raised.  Then 
perhaps  one  shot  may  take  out  a  great  bulk  of 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.        101 

this  fouling  and  the  next  shot  strikes  very  much 
higher.  The  accumulation  of  metal  fouling  will 
produce  the  same  results.  A  rifle  will  shoot  a 
trifle  higher,  and  therefore  requires  lower  eleva- 
tion, if  shot  in  the  prone  position  than  if  shot 
off-hand.  It  will  shoot  higher  still  if  "the  barrel 
is  rested  on  any  object,  such  as  a  log,  sand-bag, 
or  intrenchment. 

There  are  many  exceptions  to  these  state- 
ments, however,  and  the  only  safe  way  of  de- 
termining how  a  gun  will  group  its  shots  is  to 
fire  seven  or  eight  scores  without  changing  the 
elevation  during  the  score,  plotting  them  care- 
fully on  the  target  diagram  in  the  score-book, 
and  then  comparing. 

In  determining  the  "normal  elevation"  of  a 
rifle,  it  is  best  to  take  it  after  about  200  rounds 
have  been  fired  from  it,  and  approximate  eleva- 
tions found.  Choose  a  clear  day,  with  the  bar- 
ometer and  hygrometer  normal  and  the  temper- 
ature about  70  decrees  (90  degrees  in  the  Phil- 
ippine Islands).  Choose  also  a  time  of  day  when 
neither  the  target  nor  sights  are  in  the  shade,  and 
also  when  there  are  no  heavy  retarding  or  ac- 
celerating winds.  A  fairly  steady  deviating  wind 
does  not  matter.  When  the  rifle  is  shooting 
steadily  into  the  bull's-eye,  record  the  elevation, 


102       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

and  with  it  note  all  the  data  as  to  ammunition 
and  weather ;    for  instance,  as  follows : 

Rifle  No.  333166. 
Normal  elevation  for  800  yards — 710  yards,  = 

42  minutes. 

Frankford   Arsenal    Ammunition,    November   7, 
1907,  N.  G.  S.  No.  2  Powder. 
Velocity :     2649  ^eet- 
Light:    bright  sunny,  10  a.  m. 
Mirage:    light. 
Thermometer :    70  degrees. 
Barometer :    29.30  inches. 
Hygrometer:    50  per  cent. 
Wind :    9  o'clock,  8  miles  per  hour. 
Fort  Sheridan,  111.,  August  10,  1908. 
You  have  now  the  exact  data  for  the  normal 
elevation  at  800  yards  of  this  rifle  and  ammuni- 
tion, and  from  it  you  can  calculate,  in  the  man- 
ner shown  later,  the  change  in  elevation  neces- 
sary for  other  conditions  of  weather. 

By  the  zero  of  a  rifle  we  mean  that  point  on 
the  wind-gauge  to  which  the  sight  must  be  set 
to  cause  the  rifle,  when  correctly  sighted,  to 
shoot  into  a  vertical  line  with  the  center  of  the 
bull's-eye  when  no  wind  i!s  blowing.  It  may  be 
as  much  as  i  point  right  or  left  of  the  o  on  the 
scale,  and  is,  of  course,  the  point  from  which  all 
right  and  left  windage  is  figured.  If,  for  in- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.         103 

stance,  the  zero  of  our  rifle  i|s  i  point  right,  and 
the  wind  indications  call  for  a  correction  of  I 
point  right,  then  we  move  the  wind-gauge  to 
read,  2  points  right;  but  we  have  only  taken  a 
point  of  actual  wind.  The  zero  may  differ  for 
different  ranges,  and  it  may  be  to  the  right  for 
one  range  and  left  for  another.  It  may  change 
a  little  with  the  changes  of  ammunition.  Chang- 
ing from  full  service  loads  to  reduced  loads 
changes  it  considerably.  On  the  Krag  rifle  it  is 
often  changed  permanently  when  the  rear  sight 
is  removed  and  then  replaced.  A  blow  on  the 
front  sight  will  often  bend  it  so  as  to  change  the 
zero.  Otherwise  the  zero  is  not  affected  by  the 
many  conditions  which  influence  the  elevation. 

The  best  way  to  determine  the  zero  is  to  shoot 
on  days  when  there  is  no  wind,  and  carefully  re- 
cord the  wind-gauge  readings.  On  some  ranges, 
however,  windless  days  are  very  scarce.  On 
such  a  range  take  a  number  of  correctly  pulled 
shots  which  have  hit  the  bull's-eye,  subtract  from 
their  windage  data  the  number  of  points  which 
the  wind  at  the  time  of  firing  called  for,  and 
average  the  results.  If  the  score-book  has  been 
carefully  kept,  the  average  will  be  the  zero  for 
that  range. 

When  the  rifleman  knows  the  normal  eleva- 
tion and  zero  for  his  rifle  at  all  ranges,  he  is  pre- 


IO4       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

pared  for  accurate  shooting  and  for  competition 
work.  Until  these  are  determined,  his  shooting 
must  be  largely  experimental,  or,  as  it  is  called 
in  the  Firing  Regulations,  "instruction  practice." 
The  expert  starts  the  season's  shooting  with  a 
new  rifle.  He  simply  shoots  it  carefully  through 
the  various  courses,  keeping  all  the  while  every 
speck  of  data  very  carefully  in  his  score-book,  as 
shown  in  Chapter  XII.  In  a  very  few  days  he 
will  be  able  to  determine  absolutely  his  eleva- 
tions and  zeros  from  this  data.  Some  men  trust 
to  memory  for  their  elevations,  but  these  men 
are  seldom  found  among  the  prize-winners. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


WINDAGE  AND  WINDS. 

There  is  nothing  which  bothers  the  novice  so 
much  when  he  first  undertakes  range  practice  as 
the  wind,  and  yet  to  the  expert  it  is  a  very  sim- 
ple matter.  The  wind  is  the  greatest  disturbing 
factor  to  the  flight  of  the  bullet  that  we  have  to 
contend  with.  The  effect  of  a  wind  blowing  on 
the  side  of  a  bullet  is  to  cause  it  to  travel  slight- 
ly with  the  wind.  Thus,  if  a  wind  coming  from 
the  right  is  blowing  on  the  right-hand  side  of 
the  bullet,  the  bullet  will  drift  to  the  left,  and 
instead  of  the  bullet  hitting  the  bull's-eye,  it  will 
strike  over  toward  the  left-hand  edge  of  the  tar- 
get. To  compensate  for  this,  we  adjust  our 
wind-gauge  to  the  right.  This  is  all  clear 
enough,  but  the  lack  of  knowledge  of  just  how 
much  to  allow  on  the  wind-gauge  for  a  certain 
velocity  and  direction  of  wind  is  the  stumbling- 
block  to  most  novices. 

In  speaking  of  the  direction  of  the  wind,  rifle- 
men consider  the  rifle  range  as  they  would  the 
dial  of  a  clock  with  the  target  at  12  o'clock  and 

—105— 


106       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

the  firing-point  at  6  o'clock.  Thus,  a  wind  blow- 
ing from  the  right  at  exactly  a  right  angle  to 
the  line  of  fire  would  be  called  a  3-o'clock  wind, 
and  a  wind  blowing  straight  toward  the  marks- 
fnan  would  be  a  12-o'clock  wind.  A  3-o'clock 
wind  has  the  greatest  deviating  effect  on  the  bul- 
let, and  this  effect  decreases  as  the  direction  ap- 
proaches 12  or  6  o'clock  until  when  in  these  lat- 
ter directions  the  wind  causes  no  lateral  displace- 
ment of  the  bullet  at  all. 

The  direction  and  velocity  of  the  wind  are 
shown  by  its  effect  on  the  flags  or  streamers  of 
red  bunting  with  which  every  range  is  supplied. 
The  rifleman  judges  the  velocity  by  the  way  the 
flag  stands  out  with  the  breeze.  For  instance,  a 
wind  wi;th  a  velocity  of  i  mile  per  hour  gives 
a  barely  perceptible  lift  to  the  flag,  while  a 
25-mile  per  hour  wind  will  cause  the  flag  to 
stand  straight  out  from  the  staff.  Many  ranges 
are  also  provided  with  wind-clocks,  which  are 
large  clock  dials  with  a  single  hand  so  geared 
to  a  weather  vane  that  when  the  wind  is  blow- 
ing from  a  certain  directibn  the  hand  will  point 
to  that  direction.  They  show  the  direction  of 
the  wind  with  a  greater  degree  of  precision  than 
the  flags  will  indicate. 

As  the  velocity  of  the  bullet  is  constantly  de- 
creasing, and  the  wind  will  deflect  a  bullet  trav- 


Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen.       107 

eling  at  a  low  velocity  more  than  it  will  one  trav- 
eling- at  a  high  velocity,  it  follows,  that  the  de- 
flected path  of  the  bullet  with  a  lateral  wind  is 
a  curved  line,  as  in  the  case  of  the  trajectory. 
That  iis  to  say,  if  the  wind  deflects  the  bullet  I 
inch  at  100  yards,  it  will  deflect  it  more  than  2 
niches  at  200  yards,  and  considerably  more  than 
3  inches  at  300  yards,  and  so  on. 

The  estimation  of  the  velocity  of  the  wind  will 
always  remain  largely  a  matter  of  guesswork. 
Figure  15  gives  approximately  the  amount  of 
lift  which  the  different  wirid  velocities  have  on 
the  standard  streamer  when  the  streamer  is  dry. 
When  the  streamer  is  wet  or  damp  from  rain, 
dew,  or  foe,  it  will  not  stand  out  as  much,  and 
flags  of  different  shape,  si'ze,  and  material  will 
stand  out  differently.  If  the  flag's  on  a  certain 
range  do  not  stand  out  as  shown  in  this  figure, 
the  lift  had  better  be  observed  and  compared 
with  an  anemometer  and  a  sketch  made  of  the 
flags  as  they  lift  with  the  different  velocities  of 
wind. 

Being  able  in  this  manner  to  judge  the  direc- 
tion and  approximate  velocity  of  the  wind,  we 
turn  to  the  table  of  lateral  wind  allowances,  and 
from  it  are  able  to  set  our  wind-gauge  so  that 
our  first  shot  sihould  be  at  least  a  "4." 

Let  us  take  an  example :    We  are  to  fire  at  600 


io8       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen, 


35  MILES    PER   HOUR    AND   UP. Q 


FIGURE    15. 
Flag  Lifts  for   Different  Velocities   of  Wind. 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       109 

yards.  We  notice  that  the  wind  is  blowing  irom 
2  o'clock  and  the  flags  stand  out  from  the  staff 
at  an  angle  of  about  45  degrees,  indicating  about 
a  12-mile  wind.  We  refer  to  the  table  and  find 
that  at  600  yards  a  2-o'clock  wind  at  12  miles 
per  hour  will  require  a  correction  of  i*/2  points. 
We  therefore  set  our  wind  gauge  to  read  "ij4 
points  right,"  for  the  first  shot. 

We  have  seen  that  6-  and  1 2-o'clock  winds  do 
not  deflect  the  bullet  laterally,  but  they  do  have 
an  accelerating  or  retarding  effect  on  the  flight 
of  the  bullet,  as  also  do  i-,  5-,  7-,  and  n  o'clock 
winds,  but  to  a  lesser  degree.  A  6-clock  wind, 
by  accelerating  the  flight  of  the  bullet,  will  cause 
it  to  strike  a  higher  point  on  the  target,  and 
a  1 2-o'clock  wind,  by  retarding  the  flight,  will 
cause  it  to  strike  lower.  The  amount  of  correc- 
tion to  be  made  for  6-  and  1 2-o'clock  winds  is 
given  in  the  "Table  of  Longitudinal  Wind  Allow- 
ances." Thus,  if  we  are  shooting  in  a  2O-mile 
wind  from  6  o'clock  and  the  range  is  1000  yards, 
our  bullet  will  strike  51.4  inches  higher  than 
normal  and  the  rear  sight  must  be  given  a  lower 
elevation — say  5  minutes  lower  with  micrometer 
Similarly,  if  the  direction  of  the  wind  were  12 
o'clock,  the  bullet  would  strike  46.8  inches  low, 
necessitating  a  rise  iin  elevation  of  about  4^2 
minutes. 


no       Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen. 

Often  the  wind  will  vary  greatly  in  velocity 
between  shots,  sometimes  doing  it  so  quickly 
and  frequently  that  is  is  impossible  to  follow  it 
by  adjusting  the  sights.  In  this  case  the  wind- 
gauge  should  be  set  for  the  average  wind  and 
the  rifleman  should  endeavor  to  get  his  shot  off 
just  when  the  flag  blows  out  with  that  velocity. 
It  hardly  pays  to  try  to  shoot  in  a  wind  of  over 
25  miles  per  hour.  Always  observe  the  flags 
near  the  target  in  preference  to  those  near  the 
firing-point,  as  the  former  give  the  condition  of 
the  wind  where  the  bullet's  velocity  is  the  small- 
est and  where  it  is  most  easily  deflected. 

Often  it  happens  that  the  flags  will  not  show 
the  true  direction  of  the  wind.  They  may  be  in- 
fluenced by  hills,  valleys,  or  a  line  of  trees  at  the 
side  of  the  range.  In  these  cases  the  flight  of 
the  dust  kicked  up  bv  the  bullets  which  strike  the 
butts,  the  wave  of  the  grass,  the  flight  of  small 
insects,  etc.,  offer  valuable  guides.  The  best 
method  of  judging  the  deviating  effect  of  the 
wind,  however,  js  by  the  mirage  or  heat  waves. 
In  order  to  see  the  mirage  with  ease,  a  pair  of 
field-glasses  of  not  less  than  TO  diameters  (10 
power)  is  needed,  or,  better  still,  a  telescope  of 
from  20  to  33  diameters  with  an  object-glass 
about  2  inches  in  diameter.  When  viewed 
through  these,  the  mirage  will  be  seen  to  drift 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       m 

with  the  wind.  A  little  experience  on  the  range 
will  soon  teach  the  rifleman  how  much  to  allow 
for  a  certain  drift  of  mirage.  Mirage  is  extreme- 
ly sensitive  to  wind,  and  shows  clearly  every 
change  and  current.  The  flags  show  the  wind 
high  up  in  the  air  and  off  to  one  side  of  the 
range,  but  if  the  telescope  be  focused  on  the  tar- 
get, the  wind  indications  shown  by  the  mirage 
will  be  those  directly  in  the  path  of  the  bullet. 
Experts  have  come  to  disregard  the  flags  to  a 
great  extent  and  depend  on  observance  of  the 
mirage  for  wind  judgment.  On  the  Fort  Sheri- 
dan rifle  range,  I  have  seen  the  flags  gi'ving  an 
indication  for  2  points  right  wind  when  the  mir- 
age showed  indications  for  ij4  points  left.  Upon 
firing  it  was  seen  that  the  mirage  indication  was 
the  correct  one.  It  often  happens,  however,  that 
{mirage  is  not  present,  and  then  the  flags  have  to 
be  relied  upon. 


CHAPTER  X. 


MIRAGE,  LIGHT,  AND  ATMOSPHERE. 
Mirage. 

Mirage  is  that  rippling  haze  or  waves  of  heat 
whi'ch  is  so  much  in  evidence  when  looking 
across  ground  heated  by  the  summer  sun.  The 
effect  of  mirage  is  to  deflect  the  image  of 
the  target  vertically,  laterally,  or  both  together. 
When  no  wind  is  blowing,  the  mirage  ripples 
travel  straight  up  and  the  target  image  is  de- 
flected upward.  When  a  lateral  wind  is  blow- 
ing from  the  right,  say  3  o'clock,  the  ripples 
travel  up  and  to  the  left,  and  the  target  image 
is  deflected  in  that  direction.  With  6-  and  12- 
o'clock  winds  the  image  is  deflected  straight  up. 

In  aiming  when  the  mirage  is  present,  we  aim 
at  the  deflected  image  of  the  target,  and  not  at 
the  target  itself.  If  the  mirage  ripples  are  run- 
ning straight  up,  showing  a  simple  upward  de- 
flection of  the  image,  we  must  decrease  our  ele- 
vation. If  they  are  also  drifting  to  the  left,  we 
must  use  right  windage.  If  both  mirage  and  lat- 
—112— 


TABLE  OF  LATERAL  WIND  ALLOWANCES. 


Range 
Yards 

Correction  in  Points 
1,  5,  7,  or  11  o'clock 

of  Windage  for  Winds  in  Miles  per  Hour 
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Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.        115 

eral  wind  are  very  strong,  the  milrage  may  ap- 
pear to  have  only  lateral  with  no  upward  move- 
ment, in  which  case  only  windage  correction  will 
be  needed.  No  rule  can  be  given  as  to  the 
amount  of  correction  required.  The  amount  of 
mirage  running,  its  velocity,  and  the  strength 
of  the  wind  are  the  guides.  On  ranges  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  United  States  the  displace- 
ment is  seldom  more  than  4  feet  at  100  yards, 
but  in  the  Southwest,  where  the  mirage  may  be 
very  heavy,  it  frequently  deflects  the  image  as 
much  as  12  feet.  This  displacement  can  only  be 
measured  by  setting  a  transit  on  the  target  at 
dawn,  when  no  mirage  is  running,  and  noting 
the  displacement  thereafter. 

On  some  ranges  mirage  seems  to  occur  very 
seldom,  and  when  it  is  in  evidence  it  seems  to 
cause  no  displacement  of  the  target  image,  but 
only  blurs  the  outlines  of  the  target  and  bull's- 
eye  and  causes  them  to  "dance/'  In  a  case  like 
this,  one  cannot  hold  his  sights  as  near  the  bull's- 
eye,  and  also  the  bull's-eye  appears  larger.  When 
the  mirage  i's  of  this  character,  it  will  require  an 
increase  in  elevation,  instead  of  a  decrease.  It 
is  rather  difficult  to  tell  whether  a  slight  mirage 
has  any  displacing  effect,  and  in  such  a  case  it 
19  perhaps  better  to  make  no  allowance  for  it 

4 


Ii6       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

for  the  first  shot,  as  the  allowance  will  be  small 
in  any  case. 

Mirage  can  be  seen  when  the  light  is  bright 
over  all  the  range  and  when  the  first  half  of  the 
range  i$  bright  and  the  target  half  is  shadowed. 
It  is  greatest  when  the  ground  i(s  wet,  on  sandy 
plains,  or  where  the  range  is  traversed  by  water- 
courses. On  ranges  of  this  character,  mirage 
can  be  seen  even  on  cloudy  days  and  in  cold 
weather.  High  winds  will  dispel  it.  The  three 
diagrams  will  explain  more  plainly  than  words 
what  to  look  for  and  the  correction  needed. 

To  judge  the  mirage  correctly,  a  powerful  tele- 
scope of  long  focus  is  needed.  One  of  about  30 
diameters  power,  with  a  2-inch  object-glass,  is 
the  best,  and  it  can  be  conveniently  mounted 
about  12  inches  above  the  ground  and  alongside 
the  riflemen.  Field-glasses  of  low  power  and 
short  or  universal  focus  mislead,  for  they  show 
the  mirage  near  the  firing-point,  and  not  that 
near  the  target. 

As  we  have  seen  in  the  previous  chapter,  mir- 
age is  a  most  trustworthy  guide  to  the  wind  ve- 
locity and  direction.  The  wind  velocity  may  be 
determined  by  estimating  the  travel  of  the  mir- 
age ripples  in  miles  per  hour.  Wind  at  I  mile 
per  hour  equals  18  inches  per  second. 


WIND     FROM    6  'OR  13   O'CLOCK,  OR  NO  WIND 
IMAGE    DEFLECTED    UPWARD 


\    \ 


WIND    FROM  THE    RIGHT 
IMAGE    DEFLECTED  UP  AND  TO  THE  LEFT 


WIND    FROM  THE   LEFT 
IMA&E  DEFLECTED   UP   AND  TO  THE    RIGHT 

FIGURE  16. 
Appearance  of  the  Long-Range  Targets  in  Mirage. 


n8       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

Light. 

The  amount  of  light  present  on  the  rifle  range 
and  the  direction  from  which  it  comes  affects 
the  clearness  with  which  the  target  may  be  seen, 
the  marksman's  eyes,  and  the  manner  in  which 
he  sees  his  sights.  When  the  sun  is  behind  the 
target  and  shining  through  it,  the  bull's-eye  ap- 
pears so  gray  that  it  almost  blends  with  the  white 
of  the  remainder  of  the  target.  A  man  with 
very  strong  eyes  may  still  be  able  to  aim  at  the 
bull's-eye,  while  others  must  be  content  with  the 
calculated  center  of  the  target,  and  the  scores 
suffer. 

The  effect  of  light  on  the  seeing  of  the  sights 
depends  so  much  on  the  strength  of  the  marks- 
man's eyes  and  the  pains  he  takes  in  seeing  his 
sights  exactly  the  same  each  time  that  no  rule 
can  be  given.  Light  affects  those  who  use  the 
peep  sight  very  much  less  than  it  does  those  who 
use  the  open.  When  using  the  peep  sight,  the 
great  majority  of  men  decrease  their  elevation 
for  bright  lights  and  sunny  days  and  increase  it 
for  dark  lights  and  cloudy  days.  The  maximum 
correction  will  seldom  be  more  than  2  minutes, 
measured  bv  the  micrometer.  Do  not  confuse 
the  corrections  for  light  and  those  for  mirage. 
If  the  sights  are  shaded  bv  some  object,  use  the 
same  correction  as  for  a  dark  day. 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       119 

Strong  light  falling  on  the  side  of  the  front 
sights  reflects  a  glimmer  on  that  side,  making  the 
front  sight  appear  thicker,  and  the  sights  are 
thus  really  aligned  on  the  target  a  trifle  to  the 
opposite  side;  move  your  wind-gauge  a  trifle  to- 
ward the  light.  Here  the  question  of  eyes  comes 
*in.  Some  men  will  have  such  stiuiig  eyes  that 
they  will  see  right  through  this  glimmer,  and  for 
them  no  correction  is  needed. 

The  open  sight  can  be  seen  correctly  and  ac- 
curately when  the  day  is  dark  or  both  sights  are 
shaded.  If  the  light  shines  strongly  on  top  of 
the  front  sight,  the  glimmer  will  cause  the  sight 
to  appear  higher  than  it  really  is,  and  in  reality 
a  fine  sight  will  be  taken ;  raise  your  elevation 
slightly.  Here  again  strong  eyes  may  see  through 
the  glimmer  and  no  correction  will  be  needed. 
With  bright  targets  lower  your  elevation,  ana 
with  dark  targets  raise  your  elevation. 

These  rules  are  by  no  means  general.  The 
effect  of  light  on  the  seeing  of  the  sights  will 
have  to  be  determined  for  each  individual. 

The  following  rules  formulated  by  Major  E. 
C.  Goddard,  of  the  National  Guard  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, will  be  found  applicable  in  the  majority  of 
cases : 

Bright  firing-point,  bright  target,  B.  B. 
Bright  firing-point,  dark  target,  B.  D. 


I2O       Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen. 

Dark  firing-point,  dark  target,  D.  D. 
Dark  firing-point,  bright  target,  D.  B. 

As  will  be  seen,  the  first  letter  refers  to  the 
light  at  the  firing-point  and  the  second  to  the 
light  at  the  target. 
When  B.B.  changes  to  D.B.  lower  your  elevation. 

99      B.B.       "         "B.D.  raise      " 

"       D.D.       "          "  D.B.  lower     " 
D.D.  "B.D.  raise 

If  the  sky  is  bright  and  becomes  overcast,  a 
lower  elevation  will  be  required,  and  vice  versa, 
a  raise  will  be  required. 

If  on  a  dull  day  the  sun  should  appear  and 
light  up  the  sights,  but  not  the  target,  higher 
elevation  is  required. 

If  on  a  dull  day  the  sun  should  appear  and 
light  up  the  target,  but  not  the  sights1,  a  lower 
elevation  is  required. 

A  sudden  overcast,  placing  the  sights  in  shade, 
while  the  target  remains  lighted  up,  requires  a 
lower  elevation. 

A  sudden  overcast,  placing  the  target  in  shade, 
while  the  sights  remain  lighted  up,  requires  a 
higher  elevation. 

When  the  sky  is  overcast,  and  the  light  is  of  a 
dull  gray,  and  evenly  diffused,  the  air  over  the 
whole  range  is  more  lilkely  to  be  of  a  uniform 
temperature,  and  free  from  local  winds.  Such 


Suggestions  to   Military  Riflemen.        121 

weather  is,  therefore,  the  most  favorable  for  ac- 
curate  shooting. 

Temperature. 

The  temperature  has  a  decided  effect  on  eleva- 
tions. When  the  weather  is  warm  or  the  gun 
very  hot,  the  shots  will  fly  higher,  with  increased 
velocity,  and  a  lower  elevation  will  be  required. 
Cold  air  offers  more  resistance  to  the  bullet  than 
warm  air,  and  a  hot  barrel  expands  and  offers 
less  resistance  to  the  passage  of  the  bullet 
through  it  than  a  cold  barrel.  Low  temperatures 
call  for  increased  elevation.  The  change,  for 
instance,  between  a  hot  day  in  summer  and  a 
cold  day  in  winter,  is  considerable. 

In  order  to  determine  the  change  necessary 
in  yards  on  the  sight,  the  rule  is :  Multiply  the 
number  of  degrees  of  change  in  temperature  by 
the  number  of  hundreds  of  yards,  and  divide 
the  result  by  10.  This  gives  the  number  of  yards 
of  increase  for  fall  of  temperature,  or  decrease 
for  rise  of  temperature,  to  which  the  change  is 
equal. 

A  change  of  7^  degrees  of  temperature  is 
equal  to  i  minute  on  the  micrometer.  Thus  7^ 
degrees  rise  in  the  thermometer  will  require  a 
decrease  in  elevation  of  i  minute  on  the  mi- 
crometer, for  it  will  cause  the  shot  to  strike  i 


122       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

inch  higher  on  the  target  for  every  100  yards 
of  range. 

Take  70  degrees  F.  for  normal  in  the  United 
States,  or  90  degrees  in  tine  tropics. 

When  the  barrel  becomes  very  hot  from  rapid 
firing  on  a  hot  day,  the  elevation  must  be  de- 
creased. In  slow  fire  the  rifle  seldom  heats  up 
enough  to  one  range  to  require  a  correction 
from  this  cause,  unless  the  bore  be  very  small 
or  the  bullets  very  large. 

Barometer. 

Changes  in  barometer  cause  changes  in  the 
density  of  the  air,  and  hence  make  necessary  a 
change  in  elevation,  due  to  the  varied  resistance 
of  the  air  to  the  flight  of  the  bullet.  I(f  the  bar- 
ometer is  high,  the  air  is  dense,  offering  greater t 
resistance  to  the  bullet;  hence  greater  elevation 
is  required.  The  change  shown  by  an  inch  rise 
or  fall  in  the  barometer  has  practically  the  same 
effect  as  a  15°  change  in  temperature.  A  fall 
in  barometer  has  the  same  effect  on  elevation  as 
a  rise  of  the  thermometer,  and  vice  versa.  For 
high  barometer,  higher  elevation  is  required,  and 
for  low  barometer,  lower  elevation.  A  fall  of  i 
inch  in  barometer  will  require  2  minutes  de- 
crease in  elevation  on  the  micrometer,  and  vice 
versa. 


Suggestions  to  Military   Riflemen.       123 

It  is  seldom  indeed  that  the  barometer  at  any 
given  locality  varies  more  than  I  inch.  De- 
termine the  reading-  of  the  barometer  in  your 
locality,  on  a  clear  day  when  the  weather  is  set- 
tled, and  use  this  reading  as  "normal."  The  bar- 
ometer, of  course,  changes  greatly  with  altitude. 
Thus  the  change  from  Colorado  to  the  sea-level 
will  be  large  and  the  corresponding  elevations 
required  at  the  two  places  will  be  considerable. 
The  National  Match  teams  of  Western  States, 
when  visiting  Sea  Girt,  New  Jersey,  have  usual- 
ly found  such  a  great  difference  mat  elevations 
have  had  to  be  determined  anew. 

At  low  barometer,  at  very  high  altitudes,  the 
atmosphere  is  remarkably  clear,  and  the  air  offers 
considerably  less  resistance  to  the  bullet.  Very 
much  better  shooting  can,  therefore,  be  done  at 
high  than  at  low  altitudes. 

It  often  happens  that  changes  required  by 
temperature  are  offset  by  change  in  barometer. 
Thus,  at  high  altitudes  we  have  a  low  barom- 
eter, but  we  usually  have  there  also  a  low  tem- 
peratufe,  and  as  these  work  in  opposite  direc- 
tions on  the  elevation,  the  resulting  change  in 
elevation  required  is  very  small. 
Hygrometer. 

The  hygrometer  is  an  instrument  used  to  indi- 
cate the  percentage  of  saturation  in  the  air.  It 


124       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

consists  of  a  chemically  treated  s,pi!ral  chip, 
which,  by  its  sensitiveness  to  moisture,  actuates 
a  hand  on  a  dial.  Much  moisture  tends  to  soften 
the  fouling  in  the  barrel,  reducing  the  friction  of 
the  bullets  in  their  passage  and  causing  them 
to  strike  higher  on  the  target;  while  in  the 
absence  of  dampness  the  opposite  condition 
will  obtain.  On  a  dry  day  the  air  offer's  more 
resistance  to  the  passage  of  the  bullet,  and 
on  a  damp  day  the  opposite  occurs.  Experi- 
ence has  shown  that  in  humid  weather,  espe- 
cially if  also  warm,  it  is  wise  to  start  with  a 
somewhat  lower  elevation  than  normal  for  the 
first  shot,  followed  perhaps  by  a  very  slight  in- 
crease for  the  next  one  or  two  shots;  while  in 
very  dry  (even  though  still  warmer)  weather 
the  elevation  for  the  first  shot  will  need  to  be 
higher,  followed  by  a  somewhat  greater  increase 
than  in  the  first  instance  for  the  succeeding  shot 
or  two.  Each  10  per  cent  of  saturation  is  equal 
to  about  20  inches  in  elevation  at  1000  yards,  or 
2  inches  for  every  100  yards.  Thus,  if  the  hy- 
grometer shows  an  increase  of  TO  per  cent,  lower 
your  elevation  2  minutes,  and  the  reverse  for  a 
decrease.  Moisture  in  the  bore  may,  however, 
produce  opposite  results  in  two  rifles,  one  of 
which  is  .001  inch  larger  in  bore  than  the  other. 
All  corrections  given  i'n  this  chapter  were  de- 


Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen.       125 

termined  for  standard  rifles  which  had  a  bore 
measurement  of  .308  inch. 

It  is  not,  perhaps,  out  of  place  here  to  speak  of 
the  bad  habit  of  wetting  the  bullets  in  the  mouth 
before  inserting  them  in  the  chamber.  This 
habit  is  a  relic  of  the  old  .45-caliber  black-powder 
days,  and  no  matter  how  efficient  it  may  have 
proved  then,  with  modern  ammunition  it  will 
cause  the  shots  to  fly  high  and  wild.  The  cart- 
ridges should  be  inserted  in  the  rifle  as  clean  and 
dry  as  possible,  or  else  should  have  a  uniform 
coating  of  graphite. 

Rain  calls  for  that  correction  which  in  indi- 
cated by  the  hygrometer.  There  seems,  how- 
ever, to  be  little  difference  in  the  atmosphere 
five  minutes  before  a  rain  and  that  after  the 
rain  starts ;  provided,  of  course,  the  temperature 
does  not  change.  In  practice  it  is  safer  to  lower 
the  elevation  from  i  to  2  minutes  when  the  rain 
begins.  Use  40  per  cent  as  normal  on  the  hy- 
grometer for  a  dry  climate,  and  60  to  70  per 
cent  for  a  damp  one. 

Small  pocket  thermometers,  having  cases  foi 
their  protection,  can  be  obtained  anywhere.  It- 
is  not  necessary  to  obtain  an  expensive  one.  A 
good  barometer  i;s  expensive,  and  should  be 
standardized  and  kept  so.  It  is  not  absolutely 
necessary  to  have  one  in  the  kit.  If  one  is  at 


126       Suggestions   to    Military   Riflemen. 

hand  so  that  it  can  be  observed  just  before  go- 
ing on  the  range,  it  is  usually  sufficient.  Hy- 
grometers can  be  obtained  from  dealers  in  scien- 
tific instruments  and  are  not  expensive.  They 
should  be  kept  in  a  case  so  as  to  protect  them 
from  injury.  The  thermometer  should  be  read 
in  the  shade. 

Summary. 

Temperature:    Hi'gh  thermometer,  low  elevation. 

Low  thermometer,  higher  elevation. 

7/^  degrees,  i  minute  change  on  micrometer. 
Barometer :    High    barometer,    higher    elevation. 

Low  barometer,  lower  elevation. 

Y-2.  inch,  i  minute  change  on  micrometer. 
Hygrometer :    High  hygrometer,  lower  elevation. 

Low  hygrometer,  higher  elevation. 

5   per   cent   in  humidity,    i    minute   on  mi- 
crometer. 

Rain:    Lower  elevation   i   to  2  minutes  on  mi- 
crometer. 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       127 


EXAMPLE  OF  CHANGES  IN  EI^VATION  AND 

WINDAGE  CAUSED  BY  A  COMBINATION 

OF  THESE  CONDITIONS. 


RANGE,  1000  YARDS. 

Normal  elevation,  940  yards  or  57  minutes.     Peep  sight. 
Zero  at  1000  yards,  £  point,  right. 


Normal    con- 
ditions   for 
normal  ele- 
vation 

Actual   con- 
ditions for 
first  shot 

Change  in  ele- 
vation call- 
ed   for    on 
micrometer 

Allowance 
of   windage 
necessary 

Ammunition 

F.   A.  9-27-07 
2646  N.G.S.Q. 

Same 

Light 

B-B 

D-D 

+  1 

Mirage 

Light      / 

Light     \ 

MR 

Thermome- 
ter 

70° 

80° 

'-IK 

Barometer 

29.80 

29.30 

—  1 

Hygrometer 

60% 

70% 

—  2 

Wind 

9  o'clock 

4  o'k  6  mi 

1KB 

Normal  elevation  and  zero 
Sight  adjustment  indicated 

57 

'MR 

53K 

2MR 

CHAPTER  XL 


THE  SCORE-BOOK. 

The  score-book  is  an  absolutely  necessary  ad- 
junct to  a  rifleman's  equipment.  The  science  oi 
rifle-shooting  has  increased  so  much  during  the 
last  few  years,  and  become  such  a  complex  sci- 
ence, that  without  some  systematic  means  of  fol- 
lowing all  the  various  conditions  and  recording 
them  accurately  one  soon  becomes  hopelessly  con- 
fused. Moreover,  without  a  record  of  this  kind 
our  rifle  practice  teaches  us  nothing  but  holding, 
sighting,  and  pulling  the  trigger.  One  who  does 
not  keep  a  record  is  hopelessly  handicapped  when 
pitted  against  one  who  does. 

The  score-book  is  not,  as  its  name  implies,  a 
record  of  the  score  made  in  points.  It  is  intend- 
ed as  an  exact  record  of  the  rifle,  ammunition, 
and  man  under  the  exact  wreather  conditions  ex- 
isting at  the  instant  the  shot  is  fired,  with  also 
a  record  of  these  weather  conditions.  Any  score- 
book  which  does  not  contain  all  this  data  is  use- 
less from  the  expert's  point  of  view.  We  record 
in  our  score-book  first  the  ammunition  used  and 

—128— 


Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen.       129 

the  exact  weather  conditions.  We  then  make 
our  calculations,  set  our  sights,  record  their  read- 
ings, and  fire.  Having  fired,  we  record  where  we 
called  our  shot  and  the  exact  point  where  it  hit 
the  target.  The  official  scorer  at  each  firing- 
point  takes  care  that  the  value  of  each  shot  is  re- 
corded. We  may  put  this  down  or  not,  just  as 
we  like,  but  we  must  put  down  the  other  data, 
for  it  is  of  vital  importance.  For  recording  our 
scores  we  should  use  separate  sheets  for  each 
range  and  kind  of  fire. 

We  will  now  take,  for  example,  the  case  of  a 
man  firing  at  600  yards  and  show  how  he  keeps 
a  record  of  his  shooting.  (Follow  carefully  on 
Figure  17.)  The  man,  as  he  comes  to  the  firing- 
point,  places  his  ammunition  near  his  right  hand 
where  it  will  not  get  in  the  dust  or  dirt.  He 
adjusts  his  gun-sling  to  his  arm,  asumes  the 
correct  firing  position  in  a'  comfortable  spot 
where  he  can  see  the  target  clearly,  and  places 
his  score-book  open  on  the  ground  near  his  right 
hand.  He  has  previously  recorded  in  it  the  read- 
ings of  the  temperature,  barometer,  and  hygrom- 
eter, and  the  kind,  date,  and  velocity  of  the  am- 
munition he  is  goiing  to  use.  Finding  these  to 
be  about  the  same  as  for  his  normal  elevation, 
he  decides  to  use  that  elevation  and  records  it 
in  the  columns  marked  "Elevation,"  and  on  the 


130       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

first  line  of  the  form,  which  is  the  line  for  the 
first  sighting  shot.  It  reads  650  yards,  or  38 
irninutes.  He  now  has  to  estimate  the  wi'nd. 
The  direction  is  "  4  o'clock/'  and  he  records  this 
under  the  column  marked  "Direction."  The  flag 
flies  out  at  just  about  an  angle  of  45  degrees, 
showing  about  a  1 2-mile  wind.  He  records  this 
by  drawing  in  the  column  marked  "Flag"  two 
lines — one  for  the  staff  and  one  for  the  flag-lift. 
If  there  is  an  anemometer  on  the  range,  he  can 
record  its  reading  in  the  column  marked  "Force," 
and  this  will  give  him  his  exact  windage.  The 
use  of  an  anemometer  makes  one  become  quite 
expert  at  judging  the  force  of  winds,  but  it 
should  be  used  for  that  only,  arid  not  be  de- 
pended upon  entirely.  He  then  examines  the 
mirage  through  his  field-glasses.  This  shows 
nothing  different  from  the  flags,  and  he  records 
fts  direction  by  a  little  wavy  line.  He  then  con- 
sults the  "Table  of  Lateral  Wind  Allowances/' 
which  should  be  in  the  front  of  the  score-book, 
and  finds  that  this  wind  calls  for  a  correction  of 
i  y?.  points  rigrht,  and  records  this  in  the  "Wind- 
gauge"  column.  He  then,  notes  that  he  has  sun- 
lieht  on  both  sights  and  target  and  records  this 
"B.  B."  in  the  column  for  "  Lirfit."  He  then 
aims  and  fires  his  first  siehtine  ^hot.  As  the  rifle 
goes  off  he  is  conscious  that  his  sights  were  ex- 


Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen.       131 

actly  and  correctly  aligned — that  is,  he  "calls" 
his  shot  a  Bull's-eye,  and  so  records  it  by  placing 
a  small  dot  in  the  middle  of  the  small  bull's-eye 
in  the  column  marked  "Call."  He  then  watches 
the  target  until  it  is  marked.  The  marker  scores 
him  a  close  "4"  at  n  o'clock  and  he  marks  ft 
on  the  target  diagram  by  placing  the  letter  "A" 
(for  the  first  sighting  shot)  just  where  the  shot 
was  marked  and  drawing  a  little  circle  around 
it,  He  also  marks  a  "4"  in  the  "Val."  column. 
This  shot,  according  to  i|ts  call,  should  have  been 
a  center  bull's-eye,  but  it  has  struck  the  target 
about  12  inches  too  high.  For  the  second  sight- 
ing shot  he  therefore  reduces  the  elevation  2 
minutes,  making  the  sight  read  620  yards,  or  36 
minutes.  The  first  shot  has  been  very  Kittle  off 
for  wind,  so  he  decides  not  to  correct  for  that, 
and  the  other  conditions  remaining  the  same,  he 
so  indicates  by  placing  small  lines  in  theiir  col- 
umns. The  second  sighting  shot  is  also  called  a 
bull's-eye  and  is  marked  a  "bull"  well  in  toward 
the  center,  and  so  recorded,  using  the  letter  "B" 
on  the  target  diagram.  The  next  shot  ifs  fired 
with  no  change  in  conditions  or  sight-adjustment, 
and  also  naturally  results  in  a  bull's-eye.  This 
beine  the  first  scoring  shot,  its  location  is  shown 
on  the  target  diagram  by  the  figure  i.  Just  be- 
fore firine  the  second  scoring1  shot,  the  rifleman 


132       Suggestions   to  Military   Riflemen. 

notices  that  the  flags  are  dropped  down,  showing 
less  velocity  of  wind,  and  he  therefore  reduces 
his  windage  allowance  to  i  point.  When  he  fires 
he  is  conscious  that  his  front  sight,  instead  of 
being  directly  under  the  bull's-eye,  was  under  its 
left  edge ;  that  is,  he  calls  his  shot  a  "4"  at  9 
o'clock,  and  he  notes  this  in  the  column  for 
"Call"  by  placing  a  little  dot  on  the  left  of  the 
small  bull's-eye.  Sure  enough,  when  the  shot  is 
marked,  it  is  a  "4"  at  9  o'clock. 

For  the  third  scoring  shot  the  conditions  re- 
main the  same,  except  that  a  cloud  is  passing  in 
front  of  the  sun  and  has  cast  a  shadow  over  the 
entire  range.  For  this  it  is.  safest  to  raise  the 
elevation  a  trifle,  and  the  rifleman  decides  to 
raise  i  minute,  and  so  records  it.  This  shot  is 
marked  near  the  edge  of  the  bull's-eye  at  2 
o'clock.  Now  this  shot  was  called  a  center  bull's- 
eye,  but  yet  the  sh^t  is  not  very  far  from  the 
point  of  call,  and  the  rifleman  may  easily  have 
made  that  much  of  an  error  in  calling  the  shot, 
or  he  may  have  pulled  it  over  there  when  getting 
the  trilgger  off,  or  there  may  have  been  a  slight 
let-up  in  the  wind.  The  point  to  be  noted,  how- 
ever, in  a  case  like  this,  is  not  to  be  too  ready 
to  change  for  a  single  shot  a  little  bit  off,  when 
the  conditions  do  not  clearly  indicate  it.  In  the 
present  case,  however,  it  will  pay  to  keep  a  close 


Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen.       133 

watch  for  any  change  of  wind,  and  the  rifleman 
closely  examines  the  flags  and  mirage  before  he 
fires  the  fourth  shot,  but  no  change  is  seen. 
This  shot  is  also  a  bull's-eye,  a  little  towards  2 
o'clock.  For  the  fifth  shot  there  is  quite  a  de- 
cided chanee.  The  sun  has  come  out  and  illumi- 
nated all  the  rane:e,  and  the  wind  has  dropped 
down  until  it  barely  moves  the  flag  and  the  mir- 
age is  going  nearly  straight  up.  The  elevation 
is  therefore  reduced  i  minute,  and  the  windage 
reduced  to  J4  point.  This  shot  is  marked  at 
3  :3O  o'clock  on  the  edge  of  the  bull's-eye,  and 
on  looking  through  the  glass  to  see  the  target 
marked  immediately  after  the  shot,  it  was  noticed 
that  the  mirage  was  going  absolutely  straight  up, 
showing  no  deflecting  wind  at  all.  The  wavy 
line  in  the  mirage  column  is  therefore  corrected. 
For  the  next  shot  a  slight  wind  has  sprung 
up  from  10  o'clock;  the  rifleman  estimates  it  at 
2  miles,  and  allows  a  quarter  of  a  point  for 
it.  This  estimate,  however,  was  evidently  not 
enough,  for  he  got  a  "4"  at  2  o'clock.  The 
wind  continues  to  increase  and  for  the  next  shot 
he  allows  i  point.  Also  he  fails  on  this  shot  to 
get  a  perfect  pull-off,  and  calls  his  shot  at  4 
o'clock,  and  gets  a  "4"  at  3  o'clock.  This  shot 
has  hit  where  it  should,  so  that,  other  conditions 
remaining  the  same,  he  makes  no  change  for  the 


134       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

eighth  shot  and  it  results  in  a  bull's-eye.  The 
ninth  shot  also  is  fired  under  the  same  conditions 
and  results  in  a  "bull"  at  n  o'clock.  This  shot 
has  struck  a  little  high,  and  ordinarily,  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  a  score  at  600  yards  or  over,  if  we 
get  a  high  shot,  it  is  well  to  lower  the  elevation 
a  trifle  for  the  next ;  but  in  this  case  the  eleva- 
tion for  all  the  succeeding  shots  has  been  so 
good  that  the  rifleman  decides  not  to  change, 
and  sure  enough  the  tenth  shot  strikes  high. 

The  sheet  now  shows  the  exact  record  of  man, 
gun,  ammunition,  and  conditions,  and  becomes  a 
valuable  aid  when  the  rifleman  again  uses  this 
rifle  and  ammunition  at  600  yards.  The  actual 
score  is  46  out  of  a  possible  50. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  target  diagram  is 
traversed  by  dotted  horizontal  and  vertical  lines. 
The  vertical  lines  show  the  amount  of  correction 
on  the  target  corresponding  to  a  change  of  a 
quarter  of  a  point  on  the  wind-gauge.  The  hori- 
zontal lines  show  the  amount  of  correction  on  the 
target  corresponding  to  a  change  of  i  minute 
in  elevation.  The  small  numbers  50  and  100 
at  the  side  of  the  diagram  show  the  amount  of 
correction  corresponding  to  a  change  in  elevation 
of  50  or  100  yards. 

The  blanks  for  the  other  kinds  of  fire  differ 
in  principle  so  little  from  this  one  that  they  are 
easily  understood. 


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136       Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen. 

The  long-range  blank  shown  in  Figure  18  is 
of  slightly  different  design  from  the  mid-range 
blank  shown  in  Figure  17.  It  covers  two  pages 
of  the  score-book,  facing  each  other.  For  con- 
venience in  calculating  the  distance  of  the  shot 
from  the  center  of  the  bull's-eye,  the  target  dia- 
gram is  divided  into  dotted  squares,  the  sides  of 
each  square  representing  12  inches.  The  first 
column  under  "Call"  is  intended  to  be  used  as  a 
check  on  the  dots.  "B"  means  bull's-eye,  "6" 
a  low  call,  "7"  a  7-o'clock  call,  etc.  A  bull's- 
eye  call  is  shown  by  placing  the  dot  squarely  in 
the  middle  of  the  square  in  the  second  column. 

On  the  long-range  target  page,  the  diagram 
at  the  left  of  the  target  is  the  plotting  diagram 
designed  by  Captain  K.  K.  V.  Casey,  of  the  Na- 
tional Guard  of  Delaware.  "This  diagram  is  for 
plotting  the  shots  to  show  the  characteristics  of 
the  piece  with  reference  to  its  vertical  deviation. 
When  the  score  is  completed,  take,  as  a  base  to 
work  from,  the  elevation  used  for  the  greater 
number  of  shots.  It  will  be  noticed  that  every 
line  is  numbered  at  the  top ;  the  three  sighting 
shot  lines  being  marked  by  the  letters  'SS/ 
Place  each  shot  on  the  line  of  the  plotting  dia- 
gram corresponding  to  the  number  of  the  shot. 
Also  place  the  shots  on  their  proper  horizontal 
line  in  the  position  they  would  have  been  in  had 


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Suggestions  to   Military  Riflemen.       139 

they  been  fired  with  the  same  elevation  as  the 
majority  of  the  shots.  When  all  the  shots  have 
been  plotted,  connect  each  of  these  shot-marks 
with  its  successor  by  a  straight  line.  This  zig- 
zag line  will  give  the  rifleman  an  idea  of  the  ver- 
tical deviation  of  the  rifle  and  the  manner  in 
which  iit  throws  its  shots.  After  several  targets 
have  been  plotted,  they  will  begin  to  bear  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  resemblance  to  each  other  that 
will  be  apt  to  cause  one  to  deliberate  about 
changing  the  elevation  where  a  shot  has  gone 
high  or  low."  The  score  shown  on  this  long- 
ran^e  score-sheet  was  fired  with  a  Krag  rifle. 

Figure  19  shows  a  blank  designed  for  re- 
cording a  skirmish  run  that  has  proved  very 
convenient.  Enter  the  data  for  wind  and 
weather,  then  calculate  your  elevations  careful- 
ly for  the  different  ranges,  referring  to  .your 
normal  elevations  and  to  the  record  of  your 
scores  in  slow  fire  and  using  a  trifle  less  eleva- 
tion. Enter  the  zero  of  your  rifle  at  each  range, 
and  then  calculate  your  wind  allowances.  In  the 
instance  given  in  the  figure,  the  increase  of  the 
zero  at  the  longer  ranges  was  such  as  to  cause  the 
wind  allowance  to  have  the  same  reading  for 
each  range.  It  is  well  to  write  the  elevation  and 
windage  figures  in  lead  pencil  on  your  cuff  or 
on  the  magazine  gate  of  your  rifle,  so  that  you 


140      Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

can  refer  to  them  during  the  run.     It  will  be 
noticed  that  the  figures  for  elevation  are  given 
only  in  yards.     It  is  impossible,  with  the  short 
time  limit  in  skirmish,  to  use  the  micrometer  to 
adjust  the  sights.     On  the  slow-fire  score  blanks 
columns  have  been  left  for  recording  the  eleva- 
tion in  yards,  and  this  should  always  be  done,  in 
order  to  get  the  data  for  the  skirmish  elevations. 
The  consecutive  shots  are  to  be  numbered  on 
a  separate   diagram   by  an   assistant.     This  as- 
sistant takes  his  place  immediately  back  of  the 
6oo-yard   firing-point.     He   is   provided   with   a 
powerful  telescope  of  at  least  20  dilameters,  se- 
curely adjusted  to  bear  on  the  target.     As  each 
shot  is  fired  by  the  marksman  the  assistant,  look- 
ing through  the  telescope,  can  note  almost  ex- 
actly where  the  shot  struck,  and  numbers  its  lo- 
cation with  the  appropriate  number  on  his  dia- 
gram.    After   the   marksman   returns    from   the 
run,  he  copites  the  figures   from  his  assistant's 
diagram  on  to  his  own  score-blank.     The  locat- 
ing of  the  shots  in  this  manner  shows  the  marks- 
man exactly  how  much  and  in  what  manner  his 
elevation  and  windage  are  at  fault  at  any  range. 
Recording  runs  in  this  manner,  one  can  improve 
greatly  at  skirmish  in  a  few  trials.     In  the  ab- 
sience  of  an  assistant,  the  only  possible  alterna- 
tive is  to  visit  the  target  and  mark  with  a  cross 


142       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

on  the  diagram  where  each  shot  struck,  and  then 
make  elaborate  notes  of  where  you  saw  the  dust 
kicked  up  by  the  bullet  at  each  range. 

Everything  that  could  possibly  be  of  value 
in  the  future  should  be  noted  on  these  score- 
cards.  The  more  elaborately  and  carefully  they 
are  kept,  the  quicker  will  one  get  into  the  ex- 
pert class.  Improvement  in  marksmanship  be- 
yond a  certain  point  is  impossible  without  these 
records. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  score-books  on 
the  market.  Some  are  excellent,  some  good,  and 
a  great  number  worthless.  The  sample  sheets 
shown  here  allow  the  recording  of  everything  of 
value  and  are  easily  understood  by  a  man  of 
good  education,  but,  of  course,  they  would  hard- 
ly be  suited  to  a  man  who  did  not  have  that 
advantage.  It  might  also  be  remarked  that  the 
latter's  scores  will  never  equal  the  former's  until' 
he  has  educated  himself  up  to  understand  and 
appreciate  these  refinements.  Our  excellent  rifle 
is  a  product  of  modern  brains,  and  it  certainly 
needs  a  certain  degree  of  education  or  "bright- 
ness" to  run  it. 

Score-books  should  be  printed  on  amber  or 
light  blue  paper,  so  as  not  to  "dazzle"  the  eyes 
when  used  in  sunlight.  It  is  well  to  have  a  few 
loose  leaves  pinned  to  a  board  to  use  in  the  rain. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       143 

thus  saving  the  book.  All  the  tables  shown  in 
this  book,  and  the  changes  necessary  for  differ- 
ent weather  conditions,  should  be  printed  or 
copied  in  the  front  or  rear  of  the  book.  One 
score-book  is  made  with  loose  sheets  filed  in  an 
aluminum  cover,  and  is  small  enough  for  the 
blouse-pocket,  which  is  an  excellent  idea. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


SLOW  FIRE. 

In  slow  fire  the  shots  must  be  fired  in  a  time 
limit  of  i  minute  per  shot,  the  time  to  be  com- 
puted from  the  full  appearance  of  the  target,  and 
after  it  has  been  marked,  to  the  discharge  of  the 
rifle.  Usually  two  men  fire  on  one  target,  al- 
ternating shot  for  shot,  so  that  one  man  has  a 
much  larger  interval  than  i  minute  between  his 
shots;  but  he  has  only  i  minute  in  which  he 
can  aim  at  the  target.  Calculations  must  be 
made  quickly  anil  entries  in  the  score-book  also 
hastened,  so  as  not  to  go  over  this  limit  If  one 
will  get  his  practice  in  these  matters  down  to  a 
system,  there  is  plenty  of  time  for  everything. 
The  rifleman  should,  if  possible,  make  his  cal- 
culations for  the  first  shot  and  set  his  sights  he- 
fore  he  comes  to  the  firing-point.  Arriving  there, 
he  should  deposit  his  cartridges,  score-book,  mi- 
crometer, lead  pencil,  and  telescope,  if  he  is 
using  one,  convenient  to  his  right  hand.  He 
then  assumes  hi!s  position  and  thereafter  remains 
quiet.  He  should  not  jump  up  or  move  around. 

—144— 


Suggestions  to   Military  Riflemen.        145 

Above  all,  he  should  not  hurry,  but  take  his  time 
and  keep  cool.  He  should  obey  without  ques- 
tion all  orders  of  the  range  officers,  although  he 
should  not  hesitate  to  appeal  a  decision,  which 
appears  to  him  to  be  wrong  or  unfair.  He  should 
see  that  the  scorer  calls  the  value  of  each  shot, 
when  marked,  in  a  loud  voice,  so  that  he  can  be 
plainly  heard ;  then  the  rifleman  can  immediately 
check  him  if  perchance  he  should  give  a  wrong 
value  for  a  shot.  If  shooting  in  pairs,  the  rifle- 
man should  pay  no  attention  to  the  man  along- 
side of  him ;  in  fact,  the  closer  he  attends  to  the 
details  of  his  own  shooting  and  the  more  he  ob- 
literates all  other  incidents  the  better  will  he 
succeed.  These  remarks  pertain  particularly  to 
competitions. 

Two  silghting  shots  are  required  to  precede 
the  first  scores  at  500  and  600  yards.  These 
must  be  taken  and  cannot  be  waived.  Some- 
times in  matches  sighting  shots  are  also  allowed 
at  200  and  300  yards.  No  warming  or  fouling 
shots  are  allowed,  nor  are  they  of  very  much 
value.  The  rifleman  should  not  fire  faster  than 
he  has  to;  otherwise  his  rifle  will  heat  up  and 
necessitate  changes  in  elevation  from  this  cause. 

The  rifleman  should  be  very  careful  in  pull- 
ing his  trigger,  and  especially  to  avoid  jerking  it. 
In  this  respect  he  should,  follow  carefully  the 


146       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

instructions  in  Chapter  IV.  It  is  best  not  to  take 
up  rapid  fire  or  skirmish  until  one  has  become 
fairly  proficient  in  slow  fire,  and  also  until  the 
pulling  of  the  trigger  slowly  and  without  jerk 
has  become  second  nature.  If  one  has  any  tend- 
ency to  flinch,  he  should  stick  to  slow  fire  until 
he  has  entirely  overcome  it. 

If  the  first  shot  misses  the  target  and  the  dust 
kicked  up  by  the  bullet  shows  the  direction  of  the 
error,  the  correction  for  the  second  shot  should 
be  made  as  indicated  heretofore.  But  if  no  dust 
or  other  indications  of  the  error  can  be  seen,  the 
direction  of  the  miiss  must  be  inferred  from  the 
conditions  of  the  weather.  If  a  strong  side  wind 
is  blowing",  the  velocity  of  which  it  iis  hard  to  de- 
termine, the  miss  was  more  than  likely  to  the 
right  or  left.  If  there  is  but  little  wind,  if  the 
day  iis  either  exceedingly  dry  or  very  damp,  very 
bright  or  very  dark,  or  if  there  is  much  mirage, 
the  elevation  assumed  was  probably  incorrect. 

In  the  first  case,  where  the  deviation  is  hori 
zontal,  the  wind-gauge  should  be  moved  to  the 
right  (if  it  is  thought  that  the  shot  went  to  the 
left)  a  distance  equal  to  half  of  the  target.  If 
this  does  not  result  ih  a  hit  on  the  target,  then 
the  wind-gauge  should  be  moved  in  the  opposite 
direction  a  corresponding  distance  from  the  ad- 
justment for  the  first  shot.  One  or  the  other 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       147 

of  these  changes  will  almost  surely  result  in  a 
shot  on  the  target. 

If  the  error  which  caused  the  miss  appears  to 
be  a  vertical  one,  the  elevation  for  the  second 
shot  should  be  lowered  a  distance  equal  to  half 
the  target,  and  if  this  does  not  result  in  a  hift,  it 
should  then  be  raised  the  same  amount  for  the 
third  shot.  The  rifleman  should  always  change 
his  sights,  and  never  his  point  of  atoning. 

It  is  extremely  important  for  one  to  get  a 
good  pull  for  and  to  be  able  to  call  correctly  the 
first  sighting  shot.  Great  pains  should  there- 
fore be  taken  with  this  shot,  lif  this  is  done,  one 
starts  his  score  with  correct  elevation  and  wind- 
age, and  the  score  will  be  good  from  the  very 
srtart.  Many  scores  are  spoiled  by  uncertain 
sighting  shots,  and  the  beginning  of  the  scoring 
shots  with  errors  of  sisrht-adjustment. 

Before  going  to  the  firing-point,  be  sure  you 
have  attended  to  the  following  details : 

The  barrel  of  your  rifle  must  be  clean  and  dry. 

The  sights  must  be  blackened. 

You  must  examine  the  thermometer,  barom- 
eter, and  hygrometer,  and  note  their  readings 
in  your  score-book. 

You  must  have  on  your  person:  i,  Ammuni- 
tion with  bullets  graphited ;  2,  Score-book;  3. 
Pencil ;  4.  Field-Glasses  or  Telescope  and  Mount- 
ings ;  5,  Micrometer. 


148       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

On  arriving  in  rear  of  the  firing-point,  and 
before  you  take  your  place  thereat,  .jnake  all 
your  calculations,  except  possibly  those  for  wind, 
and  set  your  sights,  and  make  these  entries  in 
your  score-book.  Then  you  will  not  be  hurried, 
and  will  be  able  to  get  your  first  sighting  shot 
off  correctly. 

^Before  leaving  the  firing-point,  one  should  al- 
ways compare  the  score  in  his  score-book  with 
the  record  which  the  scorer  has  kept,  in  order  to 
avoid  any  possible  error. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


RAPID  FIRS. 

In  rapid  fire  at  200  and  300  yards,  a  time  limit 
of  20  seconds  is  allowed  in  which  to  fire  the  five 
shots  contained  in  the  magazine.  At  500  yards 
30  seconds  is  allowed.  This  practice  is  conduct- 
ed on  Target  "F,"  which  is  the  black  silhouette 
of  a  man  kneeling,  placed  in  the  middle  of  a 
white  target  6  feet  square.  In  timed  fire,  which 
we  will  also  consider  in  this  chapter,  the  time 
limit  is  30  seconds  for  the  five  shots,  and  the  tar- 
gets used  are  the  regular  slow-fire  targets  A 
and  B. 

In  these  classes  of  fire  the  marksman  takes  his 
place  at  the  firing-point,  having  previously  made 
his  calculations  and  set  hiis  sights,  and  he  then 
fills  his  magazine,  loads  one  cartridge  there- 
from, and  at  command  conies  to  the  pocition 
of  "ready."  At  a  signal  given  from  the  firing- 
point  (trumpet  or  telephone),  the  target  appears, 
remains  in  sight  for  the  exact  time  limit,  and 
then  disappears.  The  marksman  fires  his  five 
shots,  emptying  the  magazine  and  firing  at  will 

—149— 


150       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

from  the  instant  any  portion  of  the  target  ap- 
pears until  it  has  completely  disappeared.  Each 
unfired  cartridge  counts  as  a  milss.  The  target 
is  then  run  up  again  and  the  shots  are  marked 
on  it  in  succession. 

Usually  a  man  will  fire  two  scores  of  five  sho^s 
each  before  leaving  the  firing-point.  He  should 
therefore  watch  the  target  very  carefully  while 
ft  is  being  marked,  and  if  there  appears  to  be 
any  error  in  his  sight-adjustment,  he  should  cor- 
rect it  immediately  before  the  second  score. 

It  will  be  noticed  in  Target  "F"  that  the  great- 
est area  of  the  black  figure  appears  to  be  in  the 
region    of    the    hilos.     One    should    endeavor   to 
have  his  shots  strike  in  the  middle  of  this  re- 
p-ion, as  he  then  stands  a  larger  chance  for  mak- 
ing a  bull.     The  easiest  way  to  do  this  is  to  aim 
so  that  the  top  of  the  front  sight  just  touches 
the  middle  of  the  lower  line  of  the  figure,  giv- 
ing the  rear  sight  additional  elevation  to  carry 
the  bullet  well  up  into  the  broad  hips. 

At  200  yards  it  is  best  to  use  the  open  sight,  as 
it  is  hard  to  catch  the  peep  quickly  enough. 

In  rapid  fire  it  is  far  better  to  keeo  the  rifle 
at  the  shoulder  during  the  entire  score  than  to 
remove  it  therefrom  in  order  to  work  the  bolt. 

In  the  standing  position,  assume  the  half-arm 
extension,  with  or  without  the  sling.  Immed?- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       151 

ately  after  firing  a  shot,  pull  the  rifle  hard  against 
the  shoulder  with  the  left  hand  while  you  work 
the  bolt  with  the  right. 

In  the  sitting  position  at  300  yards,  the  right 
elbow  and  knee  should  never  lose  contact-,  for 
if  they  do,  time  will  be  consumed  in  regaining  it 
Make  the  knee  follow  the  elbow  and  thus  assist 
the  right  arm  in  working  the  bolt.  Large  com- 
fortable holes  for  the  feet  are  of  great  assistance 
here. 

In  firing  prone  at  500  yards,  use  the  sling 
and  assume  the  regular  prone  position.  Having 
fired  quickly,  grasp  the  bolt  handle  with  the  right 
hand,  turn  it  up  and  pull  it  back;  at  the  same 
time  pushing  the  piece  over  with  the  left  hand 
so  that  the  muzzle  goes  to  the  right  and  low. 
This  latter  movement  makes  it  easier  for  the 
ritght  hand  to  work  the  bolt  quickly.  As  the 
right  hand  closes  the  bolt,  the  left  hand  brings 
the  piece  again  into  the  position  of  aim.  These 
movements  should  be  thoroughly  practiced  in 
the  position  and  aiming  drills  until  at  the  in- 
stant the  right  hand  regrasps  the  small  of  the 
stock  with  the  finger  on  the  trigger,  the  left 
hand  will  have  brought  the  piece  back  so  that  it 
is  correctly  aimed  at  the  target  without  further 
movement.  This  is  entirely  possible  and  easily 
learned  when  using  the  sling  correctly  in  the 


152       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

way  previously  illustrated.  One  should  be  sure 
to  get  this  manipulation  down  to  a  fine  point,  as 
it  is  used  not  only  in  rapid  fire,  but  also  in 
skirmish. . 

In  all  rapid  and  timed  fire  and  in  skirmish  the 
bolt  should  be  worked  as  fast  as  possible,  in  order 
that  as  much  time  as  possible  may  be  devoted 
to  holding,  sighting,  and  pulling  the  trigger 
carefully.  Have  the  bolt  of  the  rifle  well  oiled, 
so  that  it  will  run  easily.  Be  very  careful  to 
squeeze  the  triggger  gradually  and  to  avoid  jerk* 
ing  it.  Do  not  hurry.  One  has  plenty  of  time. 
In  instruction  practice  it  will  be  an  advantage  to 
have  someone  call  each  5  seconds  of  time,  thus : 
"5,"  "10,"  "15,"  so  that  the  marksman  may  know 
how  the  time  is  going.  It  is  easy  to  fire  all  five 
shots  in  10  seconds,  but  this  cannot  be  done  with 
accuracy.  One  should  endeavor  to  consume 
about  1 8  seconds  in  firing  his  five  shots  in  rapid 
fire,  and  25  seconds  in  timed  fire  and  rapid  fire 
at  500  yards. 

In  rapid  fire  at  500  yards  it  is  very  important 
indeed  to  judge  the  wind  correctly.  If  the  judg- 
ment of  the  wind  has  been  wrong,  then  one  may 
bunch  all  his  shots  on  one  side  of  the  figure  and 
get  "4s"  or  "35"  instead  of  "55." 

Very  often  an  individiual  will  find  that  he  does 
not  shoot  in  the  same  place  in  rapid  fire  as  he 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       153 

did  in  slow  fire.  Many  men  wijl  find  that  if  they 
use  the  same  elevation  and  windage  in  rapid  fire 
that  they  would  use  in  slow  fire,  their  shots 
will  group  in  the  tipper  left-hand  corner  of  the 
target,  or  in  other  directions.  These  individual 
equations  must  be  determined  and  allowed  for. 

In  firing  in  khaki  uniform  it  will  often  be 
found  that  the  butt  of  the  rifle  will  slip  on  the 
shoulder  during  the  firing  of  a  score.  If  this  is 
found  to  be  the  case,  wetting  the  shoulder  of 
the  blouse  with  water  will  cause  the  butt-plate 
to  adhere  more  firmly.  If  suspenders  are  worn 
with  the  web  cartridge-belt,  they  should  be  let 
down  off  the  right  shoulder,  as  the  butt  of  the 
rifle  is  very  apt  to  slip  on  them. 

On  Target  "F,"  hits  to  the  left  of  the  figure 
count  4,  while  those  to  the  right  only  count  3. 
Therefore,  in  adjusting  the  sights  for  windage, 
it  is  well  to  calculate  so  as  'to  place  the  shots 
a  little  to  the  left  of  the  center  of  the  figure,  so 
as  to  lessen  the  chance  of  an  accidental  "3." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


SKIRMISH. 

In  skirmish  fire  the  target  is  known  as  Tar- 
get "G."  It  is  composed  of  two  iron  frames, 
one,  the  shape  of  the  silhouette  of  a  man  kneel- 
ing, and  the  other,  of  a  man  lying  prone.  These 
are  made  to  stand  upright  on  the  ground  by 
means  of  suitable  legs.  On  them  is  laced  a  can- 
vas covering,  and  the  black  paper  silhouette  is 
pasted  on  the  canvas.  The  figures  are  set  on 
the  ground,  usually  on  the  glacis -of  the  target 
butt.  They  are  placed  in  line  with  i  yard  be- 
tween the  centers  of  the  figures,  the  prone  figure 
being  on  the  right,  facing  the  target.  The  value 
of  hits,  direct  and  ricochet,  are:  on  the  prone 
figure,  5 ;  on  the  kneeling  figure,  4.  Hits  on  the 
black  paper  silhouette  only  count.  When  two  or 
more  targets  are  used  on  the  same  range,  they 
are  placed  in  line  with  an  interval  of  not  less 
than  5  yards  between  centers  of  groups. 

While  this  is  the  regulation  skirmish  target, 
its  form  has  caused  considerable  dissatisfaction. 
Shots  striking  the  ground  immediately  in  front 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       155 

of  the  target  often  drive  large  rocks  or  lumps 
of  dirt  through  the  target,  tearing  such  large 
holes  in  it  that  it  cannot  he  counted  and  the 
marksman  has  to  repeat  his  run.  Also  shots 
striking  the  iron  frame  are  apt  to  tear  the  tar- 
get badly.  The  conditions  with  this  target  are 
liable  to  be  different  on  different  ranges.  On 
one  range  the  targets  may  be  set  on  hard  gravel 
and  they  will  be  seen  with  great  distinctness,  and 
a  shot  striking  two  or  three  feet  in  front  of  the 
target  will  be  almost  sure  to  ricochet  through ; 
while  on  another  range  the  targets  may  be  placed 
on  a  soft,  grassy  glacis,  where  they  are  almost 
invisible  and  ricochets  are  impossible. 

Many  different  targets  have  been  devised  to 
overcome  these  objections.  At  the  last  National 
Match  (1908)  the  skirmish  target  consisted  of 
the  kneeling  and  prone  figures  printed  on  a 
white  target  6  feet  square,  and  this  was  dis- 
played from  the  butt  exactly  as  the  regular  mid- 
range  target  is  displayed.  The  following  in- 
structions have  been  written  with  a  vtew  to  their 
beitag  adaptable  to  any  form  of  target. 

For  the  procedure  in  skirmish  fire,  one- should 
consult  Paragraph  141,  Small-Arms  Firing  Reg- 
ulations 1906. 

Elevation  and  zero  are  everything  in  skilrmish-- 
ing.  They  must  be  known  exactly,  to  an  inch 


156        Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

iff  possible,  at  each  range.  Start  work  on  the 
skirmish  figures  pasted  on  a  6x6-foot  white  tar- 
get, and  have  every  shot  marked  with  a  spotter, 
keeping  an  accurate  record  in  your  score-book. 
Start  in  at  200  yards  and  work  back  to  600 
yards.  Now,  using  the  same  elevations,  start  at 
600  yards  and  work  down  to  200  yards,  but  at 
each  range  fire  the  prescribed  number  of  shots 
within  the  time  limit  and  see  if  they  fall  in  the 
same  place  as  in  slow  fire.  If  they  do  not,  cor- 
rect the  elevation  and  zero  to  agree  with  your 
rapfd-fire  error.  Lastly,  have  the  regular  skirm- 
ish target  put  up  and  make  a  regular  run,  ex- 
cept that  between  ranges  have  a  marker  come 
out  from  the  pit  and  mark  each  bullet-hole  with 
the  number  of  that  range  in  red  pencil.  This 
will  give  you  complete  and  final  data. 
.  The  best  manner  of  aiming  is  to  have  the  figure 
appear  as  though  it  were  kneeling  or  lying  on  top 
of  the  front  sight.  At  any  rate,  the  aim  should 
be  taken  at  exactly  the  same  spot  at  each  range. 
At  each  range  fire  on  the  kneeling  or  prone  fig- 
ure just  as  you  would  in  a  regular  run.  On 
ranges  where  dust  can  be  seen  behind  the  fig- 
ures, and  the  prone  figure  stands  out  distinctlv 
against  a  light  background,  many  men  will  fire 
all  their  shots  at  this  figure. 

Under  these  conditions  at  Fort  Sheridan,  dur- 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       157 

ing  the  Army  competitions  in  1905,  six  possibles, 
scoring  100,  were  made.  Where,  however,  the  - 
figures  are  up  in  the  aif  and  against  the  sky,  as 
at  Camp  Perry,  many  find  that  they  make  their 
best  average  shooting  at  the  kneeling  figure  at 
600,  500,  400,  and  350  yards,  and  at  the  prone 
figure  at  300  and  200  yards. 

On  ranges  where  one  can  obtain  ricochets 
with  fair  certainty,  the  elevations  should  be  so 
adjusted  as  to  have  the  center  of  the  group  fall 
at  the  mark  R,  Figure  20.  Where,  however,  di- 
rect hits  only  will  score,  the  shots  should  fall 
higher  than  this,  at  the  point  marked  D.  In  fir- 
ing on  the  kneeling  figure  at  600  yards,  when 
there  is  no  chance  for  ricochets,  the  shots  should 
fall  at  the  point  6.  Elevations  so  adjusted  have 
been  found  to  give  the  greatest  certainty  of  hits. 
In  all  your  firing  try  to  prevent  your  shots  from 
going  under  the  arm  of  the  kneeling  figure  or 
over  the  back  of  the  prone  figure,  for  most  of 
the  misses  occur  in  these  locations. 

Let  me  strongly  advise  you  in  all  finding  of 
elevations  and  in  practice  runs  to  use  the 
Stevens-Pope  micrometer  sight  elevator,  which 
can  be  left  on  the  rifle  while  firing.  The  mi- 
crometer is  as  great  a  factor  toward  high  scoie:- 
in  skirmis/h  as  it  is  in  slow  fire.  The  British 
vernier  will  not  answer  for  this  purpose.  I 


158       Suggestions  to   Military  Riflemen. 

thoroughly  believe  in  the  use  of  the  peep  sight 
at  every  range,  and  all  data  here  given  has  been 
worked  out  for  that  sight. 

When  using  the  micrometer  it  will  be  found 
that  a  certain  lowering  of  elevation  is  necessary 
between  each  range.  This  change  seems  to  be 
constant  with  everyone,  and  does  not  differ  with 
individuals.  Presuming  that  one  is  firing  at  the 
prone  figure  entirely,  this  will  be  found  to  be  as 
follows :  , 

From  600  to  500  yards lower   4.3    minutes. 

500  "  400   "  "   4. 

400^350      "   2. 

"   350"300   "  "   1.7    " 

.300  "  200      3. 

This  table  we  will  call  the  regular  skirmish 
ratio.  It  was  determined  with  ammunition  man- 
ufactured at  the  Frankford  Arsenal,  with  the 
i5O-gram  sharp-pointed  bullet  and  giving  an  in- 
strumental velocity,  measured  at  78  feet  from 
the  muzzle,  of  about  2640  feet. 

Where  one  fires  at  the  kneeling  figure  at  the 
longer  ranges  a  small  change  should  be  made, 
for  one  wants  his  shots  to  strike  higher  on  the 
kneeling  than  on  the  prone  figure.  Thus  if  we 
shoot  at  the  kneeling  figure  at  600,  500,  and  400 
yards,  and  at  the  prone  at  the  shorter  ranges, 
instead  of  having  2  minutes  difference  between 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       159 


160       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

400  and  350  yards,  we  make  the  difference  3 
minutes,  setting  the  elevations  for  the  kneeling 
figure  i  minute  higher.  The  altered  ratio  then 
becomes  4-3,  4,  3,  i-7,  3- 

It  is  extremely  difficult  in  the  hurry  and  ex- 
citement of  a  skirmish  run  to  adjust  the  sight 
to  correct  elevation  necessary  to  have  the  bullets 
fall  with  certainty  on  the  exact  spot  desired.  It 
can  hardly  be  done  with  the  hands  unless,  hap- 
pily, the  correct  elevations  coincide  with  some 
distinct  line  or  mark  on  the  sight-leaf. 

The  Regulations  do  not  allow  a  permanently 
affixed  micrometer  in  record  practice  or  in  com- 
petitions. That  isi,  the  micrometer  must  not  be 
attached  to  the  rifle  when  the  latter  is  fired. 
Therefore  i't  is  practically  impossible  to  use  the 
micrometer  in  skirmishing,  except  in  practice 
runs,  as  it  takes  too  much  time  to  put  it  on  the 
sight  and  take  it  off. 

After  one  has  correctly  found  his  elevations 
with  the  micrometer,  I  would  recommend  his 
(making  a  skirmish  sight-adjuster  for  those  ele- 
vations. This  consists  simply  in  a  piece  of  sheet 
brass  made  in  the  form  illutrated  in  Figure  21. 
It  is  made  by  the  rifleman  himsdf  with  the  aid 
of  a  small  vise  and  a  flat  file.  The  making  takes 
about  fifteen  minutes.  The  height  of  each  step 
is  the  distance  from  the  wind-gauge  scale  to  the 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.        101 

under  side  of  the  sighting-bar  when  the  sight  is 
correctly  adjusted  for  the  range.  The  firing 
should  be  done  with  great  care,  so  that  the  ad- 
juster will  exactly  set  the  sights  at  the  elevations 
as  determined  by  firing  and  recorded  by  tile 
micrometer. 

To  use  the  adjuster  the  under  side  is  placed  in 
contact  with  the  wind-gauge  scale,  the  brass 
plate  being  on  a  line  with  the  two  zeros  on  the 
scale.  The  sighting-bar  is  then  lowered  on  to 
the  step,  being  careful  to  allow  the  next  higher 
step  above  the  range  desired  to  pass  to  the 
left  of  the  projection  containing  the  battle- 
sight.  The  sighting-bar  is  pressed  down  hard 
on  the  adjuster,  clamped  fast,  and  the  adjuster 
'removed.  With  five  minutes'  practice  this  can 
be  done  instantaneously,  and  quite  a  little  faster 
than  settling  by  hand  in  the  regular  way,  as  there 
are  no  fine  adjustments  to  be  made  by  the  eye. 

Some  riflemen  will  argue  that  this  adjuster 
does  not  allow  of  those  changes  in  elevation 
called  for  by  weather  conditions.  It  is,  however, 
sip  simple  that  three  can  be  made ;  one  to  ad- 
just to  i  minute  over  normal  elevation  at  all 
ranges,  and  one  to  i  minute  below.  Piactical- 
ly,  however,  in  skirmish  firing,  no  alteration 
from  the  normal  elevations  should  be  made,  ex- 
cept at  600  yards.  Head  or  rear  winds  at  short- 


1 62       Suggestions   to    Military   Riflemen. 


21 


Soo  4.00 


350  3oo 


Figure  21. 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       163 

er  ranges  than  600  yards  make  no  appreciable 
difference  in  elevation.  When  one  gets  well  into 
a  skirmish  run,  the  barrel  becomes  very  hot,  and 
the  conditions  of  the  gun  are  practically  identical 
for  every  run. 

Experience  has  proved  conclusively  that  is  is 
not  safe  to  depart  from  the  normal  elevations  at 
ranges,  below  600  yards.  Thus  this  adjuster, 
constructed  for  the  normal  elevations,  can  be 
absolutely  relied  upon.  Of  course,  there  will  be 
considerable  difference  in  the  sort-range  eleva- 
tions between  winter  and  summer,  on  account 
of  the  great  difference  in  temperature.  Also, 
the  short-range  elevations  will  differ  in  different 
localities  accordihg  to  the  baromatic  pressure. 

Having  made  the  adjuster,  we  are  now  ready 
for  a  regular  skirmish  run.  .Wipe  your  barrel 
free  from  oil,  smoke  the  sights,  and  oil  the  bolt. 
Roll  up  the  left  sleeve  of  your  undershirt  so 
as  to  make  a  hump  just  below  where  the  sling 
is  to  come  on  the  arm.  Put  on  your  cartridge- 
belt  and,  having  graphited  your  bullets,  arrange 
the  clips  in  the  pockets  of  the  belt  where  they 
can  be  easily  gotten  at  with  the  right  hand.  Be 
sure  you  have  your  micrometer,  skirmish  adjust- 
er, field-glasses,  score-book,  and  pencil  with  you  ; 
then  go  to  the  range.  Make  your  calculations 
as  to  elevation  and  windage  for  the  6oo-yard 


164       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

range  and  set  your  sights  with  the  micrometer. 
Also  make  your  windage  calculations  for  all  the 
other  ranges.  Then  write  the  data  for  elevation 
in  yards  and  for  windage  at  each  range  on  a 
small  piece  of  paper  about  2  inches  square  and 
pin  this  to  the  left  cuff  of  your  blouse  or  shirt 
where  it  will  be  in  plain  view  when  you  assume 
the  firing  position.  This  paper  should  have  re- 
corded on  it,  for  instance,  the  following: 

Skirmish  Data. 

Yards.  Kiev.  W.  G. 

500  500  i  3-5 

400  415  [   1-5 

350  360  i 

300  300  4-5 

2OO  25O  1-2 

You  will  then  have  this  paper  to  refer  to  in 
setting  your  sights  at  each  range  and  will  not 
have  to  trust  to  memory,  whilch  is  very  unsafe 
in  the  hurry  of  a  skirmish  run.  The  reason  for 
putting  on  it  the  elevation^in  yards  is  that  you 
may  accidentally  lose  your  skirmish  adjuster  in 
the  grass  and  be  unable  to  recover  it  in  time. 

For  instance,  if  you  estimate  your  windage  at 
600  yards  to  be  2  points,  then  follow  on  the  600- 
yard  line  to  the  2-point  column  and  read  down, 
and  you  will  have  the  correct  windage  for  all 
the  other  ranges. 


Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen.       105 

Then  adjust  the  sling  carefully  to  the  left  arm 
above  the  roll  of  the  undershirt  sleeve,  and  fasten 
it  there  by  slipping  down  one  of  the  keepers  of 
the  sling.  The  sling  is  to  be  kept  adjusted  dur- 
ing the  entire  run  and  never  removed  from  the 
arm. 

Now,  if  you  have  time,  go  to  the  6oo-yard  fir- 
ing-point, lie  down,  sight  on  your  target,  note 
where  your  elbows  come  on  the  ground,  and 
make  small  holes  for  them.  This  gives  greater 
steadiness.  Then  return  in  rear  of  the  line.  At 
the  command  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
skirmishers,  load,  filling  the  magazine  with  a  full 
clip  and  closing  the  bolt,  thus  loadiing  a  cartridge 
into  the  chamber.  Have  the  skirmish  adjuster 
in  the  right  hand.  At  the  command,  move  for- 
ward promptly,  and,  arriving  at  the  firing-point, 
lie  down,  elbows  in  the  holes  previously  made, 
place  the  adjuster  on  the  ground  to  the  right 
of  the  piece  and  convenient  to  the  right  hand, 
and,  holding:  the  piece  in  the  position  •  of  load, 
await  the  command  for  firing.  At  the  command 
or  trumpet-call  (last  note)  "Commence  firing!" 
unlock  the  piece,  aim  carefully,  and  try  to  get 
the  best  pull  possible  for  the  first  shot.  Having 
fired  the  first  shot,  immediately  eject  the  fired 
shell  and  load  the  second  cartridge.  Fire  the 
second  shot  as  soon  as  your  are  st;re  you  can  get 


1 66       Suggestions   to   Military   Riflemen. 

a  good  pull.  Eject  this;  shell  instantly,  load,  and 
lock  the  piece.  Then  let  your  hand  fly  to  the 
skirmish-adjuster  on  the  ground,  and  then  to 
the  rear  sight.  Set  the  rear  sight  for  the  500- 
yard  elevation  with  the  adjuster,  then  change 
the  wind-gauge  to  agree  with  the  memorandum 
you  have  pinned  to  your  left  cuff.  Retain  the 
skirmish  elevator  in  the  ri|ght  hand.  Glance  at 
the  flags  to  see  if  there  has  been  a  change  in  the 
wind,  and  await  the  signal  to  rise  and  move 
forward.  In  proceeding  from  one  range  to  the 
next,  carry  the  rifle  under  the  left  arm,  muzzle 
to  the  front,  and  the  sling  still  adjusted.  If 
necessary,  tiehten  the  sling  on  the  arm  as  you 
move  forward. 

These  movements  are  repeated  at  each  range, 
firing,  of  coursie,  the  correct  number  of  cart- 
ridges. Examine  each  firing-point  with  your  eye 
as  you  approach  iit,  and  choose  a  level  place  to 
lie  down,  where  no  tufts  of  grass  will  interfere 
with  your  vision  of  the  target.  As  you  lie  down, 
try  to  find  a  hole  or  depression  in  the  sod  for 
your  right  elbow  to  rest  in.  It  is  very  import- 
ant that  the  rierht  elbow  should  not  even  feel  as 
though  it  might  possibly  slip.  An  elbow  badly 
placed  makes  the  position  very  unsteady.  In 
some  soils  the  heel  can  be  dug  into  the  ground 
before  lying  down,  thus  making  a  hole. 


Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen.       167 

On  approching  the  4OO-yard  firing-point,  take 
a  clip  of  cartridges  from  the  belt  and  lay  it,  with 
the  skirmish  adjuster,  near  the  rignt  nand,  but 
where  it  will  not  get  dirty  or  wet.  When  you 
come  to  400  yards,  you  will  have  but  one  cart- 
ridge in  your  rifle.  Having  fired  that,  immedi- 
ately and  quickly  load  the  clip  which  is  lying 
conveniently  to  hand,  and  fire  the  other  two 
shots.  Practice  this  quick  loading  with  clips  of 
dummy  cartridges — it  will  pay.  Similarly,  on 
approaching  the  350-  and  3OO-yard  firing-points, 
you  should  take  a  clip  from  the  belt  and  place 
it  on  the  ground,  as  you  will  have  to  load  it  im- 
mediately after  firing  the  last  shot  at  these 
ranges. 

In  rapid  fire  at  300  and  200  yards  be  especial- 
ly sHire  about  getting  a  hole  for  that  right  elbow, 
and  don't  lift  the  elbows  from  the  ground  in 
working  the  bolt.  As  you  grasp  and  pull  back 
the  bolt  with  the  right  hand,  lower  and  move  the 
left  hand  to  the  right  without  changing  its  grasp 
on  the  rifle.  This  assists  the  right  hand  in  open- 
ing the  bolt  without  removing  the  elbow  from 
the  ground.  As  you  close  the  bolt,  briing  the 
left  hand  back  to  the  firing  position  and  the 
sights  on  the  target.  After  a  little  practice  in 
this,  one  can  fire  very  accurately  and  very  fast. 
By  not  changing  the  grip  of  the  left  hand  on 


168       Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen. 

the  piece,  or  letting  the  elbows  leave  the  ground 
we  hasten  the  return  of  the  rifle  accurately  to  the 
target. 

Indeed,  experience  seems  to  show  that  after 
an  amount  of  this  practice  one  can  get  to  that 
state  where  he  sights  for  tfre  first  shot  only,  and 
pumps  the  succeeding  shots  in  as  fast  as  possible, 
with  a  surety  that  they  will  all  be  hits.  Per- 
haps the  greatest  factor  in  getting  a  good  skirm- 
ish average  is  to  surely  get  in  every  shot  at  300 
and  200  yards  on  the  prone.  One  is  thus  sure 
of  50  points  and  everything  he  gets  back  of  300 
yards. 

Hits  can  surely  be  made  at  300  and  200  yards 
in  slow  fire,  and  in  order  to  assure  them  in  the 
rapid  fire,  it  helps  greatly  if  one  can  work  his 
bolt  like  lightning  and  have  his  sights  come 
right  back  on  the  target,  so  that  he  has  a  little 
time  to  get  a  perfect  sight  and  a  good  pull-off. 

All  these  movements  are  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, so  do  not  slur  any  of  them.  It  is 
necessary  to  get  them  down  so  fine  that  they  are 
done  automatically  and  with  great  speed  and 
precision.  You  must  have  all  the  time  possible 
for  aiming,  pulling,  setting  the  sights,  and  watch- 
ing conditions,  and  your  mind  must  be  burdened 
with  nothing  else.  You  cannot  expect  to  skirm- 
ish well  until  you  have  come  to  do  everything 


Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen.       169 

else  without  thinking  and  with  great  speed  and 
accuracy.  Lay  off  a  skirmish  range  anywhere — - 
it  does  not  matter  if  the  distances  are  not  exact 
— and  make  a  number  of  runs  with  dummy  car- 
tridges, until  you  know  the  whole  procedure  by 
heart. 

On  ranges  where  the  skirmisA  figures  are 
placed  on  or  in  front  of  a  butt,  the  bullets  will 
often  throw  up  puffs  of  dust,  giving  an  excel- 
lent indication  as  to  the  correctness  of  eleva- 
tion and  windage.  If  on  such  a  range  the  first 
shot  is  seen  to  strike,  say,  6  inches  low  and  6 
inches  to  the  left  of  the  figure,  then  for  the  re- 
maining shots  at  that  range  the  piece  should  be 
held  6  inches  higher  and  6  inches  to  the  right 
of  the  figure.  The  elevation  and  windage  for 
the  other  ranges  can  be  calculated  anew  on  this 
data  while  one  is  proceeding  from  one  range  to 
another.  Be  sure,  in  your  observations,  to  take 
into  consideration  the  effect  of  the  wind  in  dis- 
placing the  puff  of  dust. 

In  order  to  get  the  greatest  amount  of  profit 
from  vour  practice,  you  should  keep  a  score- 
sheet  of  every  run,  as  shown  iin  Chapter  XI. 

Here  are  a  few  things  you  would  do  well  to 
remember : 

Make  all  your  calculations  for  600  yards,  and 
your  windage  calculations  for  all  other  ranges 


170       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

in  plenty  of  time  before  the  run,  so  you  will  not 
be  hurried  at  the  last  moment. 

Keep  your  eyes  open  for  any  change  in  the 
wind  during  a  run. 

Be  sure  to  get  a  good  pull  for  every  shot. 

Immediately  after  the  last  shot  at  each  range, 
set  the  sights  for  the  next  range. 

Be  sure  to  get  a  steady  position  at  each  halt. 
Thi's  is  best  insured  by  smooth,  level  ground, 
with  a  slight  hole  for  the  right  elbow. 

The   ^o-Shot   Competition   Run. 

This  run  is  prescribed  for  competitions  in  the 
Regular  Army.  Forty  rounds  of  ammunition  are 
issued  to  each  competitor.  The  time  limit  re- 
mains the  same  as  in  the  regular  run.  Five 
rounds  must  be  fired  at  each  halt,  making  it  com- 
pulsory to  fire  at  least  30  rounds.  The  other  10 
rounds  may  be  fired  where  desired.  All  loading 
must  be  with  a  full  clip  of  five  cartridges. 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  run  calls  for  extreme- 
ly rapid  work,  and  to  succeed  at  it,  one  should 
do  hours  of  practice  with  dummy  cartridges  at 
loading  and  firing  quickly.  No  absolute  rule  caa 
be  prescribed  as  to  where  one  should  fire  the 
extra  cartridges  or  whether  he  should  fire  all 
of  them.  Of  course,  one  should  fire  no  more 
cartridges  than  he  can  be  sure  to  get  good  aim 
and  pulls  for.  The  aim  will  necessarily  be  slow- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       171 

er  at  the  longer  ranges  than  it  will  at  the  shorter. 
At  500  yards  one  can  hardly  fire  his  five  shots, 
Joad,  and  fire  any  more;  but  at  400  yards,  if  he 
works  fast,  he  can  perhaps  fire  five,  load  a  clip, 
and  fire  one  more  in  the  30  seconds.  Then  at 
350  he  can  fire  the  four  shots  in  the  rifle,  load, 
and  fire  three  more ;  and  at  300  yards  he  can  fire 
the  two  shots  in  the  rifle,  load,  and  fire  five  more. 
It  is  difficult  to  fire  more  than  five  shots  in  the 
time  limit  of  20  seconds  at  200  yards,  but  per- 
haps after  firing  five  shots  then,  one  may  find 
time  to  load  the  rifle  and  fire  another  shot  or  so, 
making  a  total  of  36  or  37  shots  for  the  run. 
Many  good  shots  distribute  their  cartridges  in 
this  manner,  claiming  it  is  about  all  they  can 
pull  well.  Others  will  start  firing  the  extra  shots 
at  600  yards  and  will  get  in  the  whole  40  shots 
on  the  run.  I  think  all,  however,  agree  that  it 
is  unwise  to  so  distribute  the  cartridges  as  to 
make  it  necessary  to  load  a  clip  during  the  firing 
at  200  yards.  If  a  man  is  firing  40  shots,  he  ar- 
ranges it  so  that  he  comes  to  the  2OO-yard  firihg- 
point  with  his  last  five  shots  in  his  rifle. 

During  the  latter  part  of  a  run,  be  sure  not  to 
touch  your  hands  to  the  fixed  base  of  the  rear 
sight,  as  it  will  have  become  hot  enough  to.  burn 
them.  In  other  respects  the  instructions  given 
for  the  regular  run  will  apply  to  this  one  also. 


172       Suggestions  to  Military  Rtflemen. 

Sub-Skirmish. 

Many  men  are  unable  to  obtain  any  skirmish 
practice  on  account  of  the  lack  of  a  safe  and 
suitable  range.  It  is  a  poor  locality,  however, 
where  a  2OO-yard  range  or  a  level  spot  of  that 
length  is  not  available.  On  such  ground  excel- 
lent skirmish  practice  can  be  had,  by  laying  out 
a  range  the  same  as  the  regular  skirmish  range 
in  every  respect,  except  reduced  to  one-third  the 
size,  and  then  using  a  reduced  load.  A  diagram 
of  such  a  range  is  given  in  Figure  22. 

In  order  to  get  the  full  length  of  run  between 
ranges,  plant  stakes  a  little  distance  to  the  right 
or  left  of  the  range  and  half-way  between  the 
firing-points.  Have  them  exactly  50  yards  from 
the  firing-points  which  they  are  between,  except 
those  between  400  and  350  yards,  and  between 
350  and  300  yards,  which  should  be  only  25 
yards.  The  marksman  then  in  going  from  600 
to  500  yards  (represented  ranges)  proceeds  in 
quick  time  to  the  stake  A,  rounds  it,  and  pro- 
ceeds in  double  time  to  the  5OO-yard  firing-point. 
The  targets  are  made  just  one-third  the  size  of 
the  regular  targets.  They  can  be  conveniently 
cut  from  heavy  card-board  or  linoleum  to  give 
them  the  requisite  stiffness  without  the  iron 
frame,  and  then  pasted  over  with  black  paper. 
In  the  absence  of  a  better  bullet-stop,  a  large 


SUlf 


Moo  t«L 


300  YH    •* 

3JoY< 
M-oo  Yd"  - 


r.  p. 


000    "Yav-a   x  -LJ       r.r,ng  Pom*  ^ 

Figure  22. 


174       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

packing-box  preferably  one  for  a  piano,  rilled 
with  sand  and  placed  a  foot  behind  the  targets, 
will  answer. 

The   service   ammunition   is   both   undesirable 
and  unsafe  for  this  use.     Undesirable  because 
the  trajectory  is  so  flat  that  no  adjustment  of 
sights  is  necessary  during  the  run,  which  is  a 
very  desirable  part  of  the  practice ;   also  because 
the  load   is   expensive   and   causes   much   wear 
to  the  barrel.     It  is  unsafe,  because  these  sub- 
ranges from  their  very  nature  are  extemporized 
without    all    safety   precautions    being   taken    in 
their  location,   and  are  usually  in   settled  com- 
munities.    Therefore  a  reduced  load  is  usually 
used,  and  for  this  purpose  I  would  recommend 
the  load  prescribed  for  Ideal  Bullet  No.  308280 
in  Chapter  XVII.     Of  course,  regular  skirmish 
elevations  will  have  to  be  found  for  this  load. 
The  sub-skirmish  is  an  excellent  makeshift  for 
the  National  Guardsmen  and  civilians  who  do 
not  have  a  regular  range  available. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


LONG  RANGE:. 

"There  are  many  good  short-range  men,  who 
have  simply  not  got  the  necessary  brains  nor 
education  for  first-rate  long-range  work ;  and 
there  are  very  few  officers  capable  of  teaching  it 
well,  or  who  ever  had  half  a  chance  to  learn  it/' 
—Tippins,  in  Modern  Rifle -Shoo  ting. 

The  above  quotation,  from  one  of  the  greatest 
English  experts,  applies  with  equal  force  to  our 
own  service.  It  is  not  so  much  that  long-range 
firing  differs  from  short-  or  mid-range  work,  as 
that  the  laws  which  apply  to  short-  and  mid- 
range  apply  with  equal  or  greater  force 'to  long 
range,  and  while  one  or  two  factors  may  be  dis- 
regarded and  still  not  spoil  a  mid-range  score, 
yet  the  overlooking  of  a  single  thing  will  play 
havoc  at  1000  yards.  It  will  be  seen  that  to  ap- 
ply all  the  principles  and  rules  so  far  laid  down 
in  this  work  requires  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
them,  a  quick  and  active  brain,  good  eyesight, 
and  a  good  body;  and  also,  i!t  might  be  said,  a 

—175— 


176       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

good  education.  These  are,  then,  the  essential 
qualities  of  a  good  long-range  shot.  Eliminate 
any  one  of  these,  and  we  will  in  all  probability 
eliminate  also  the  good  scores. 

Long  ranges  are  classified  as  those  between 
600  and  TOGO  yards.  Practically,  however,  there 
is  little  difference  between  the  care  necessary  to 
make  a  creditable  score  at  600  yards  and  that 
necessary  at  800  yards.  The  real  difference 
comes  when  one  retires  to  1000  yards;  therefore 
the  following  remarks  will  pertain  more  partic- 
ularly to  that  range. 

The  rifle  is  the  first  consideration.  The  muz- 
zle of  the  bore  must  be  perfect  to  give  the  neces- 
sary accuracy.  The  bore  must  be  smooth  and 
free  from  roug-h  places  and  rust,  which  would 
make  it  foul  quickly  with  cupro-nickel.  The  bar- 
rel must  be  kept  in  perfect  condition  with  the 
metal  fouling  solution,  as  directed  in  Chapter  II. 

The  rifleman  must  do  his  own  part  perfectly. 
His  hold  must  be  steady  and  exactly  the  same 
at  each  shot.  The  same  /  amount  of  tensioin 
should  be  placed  on  the  gun-sling  for  each  shot, 
and  the  elbows  should  lie  in  the  same  holes. 
The  aim  should  be  as  correct  as  the  eyes  can 
see  to  make  it.  Canting  or  leaning  of  the  sights 
must  be  carefully  guarded  against,  as  a  hardly 
visiible  cant  will  carry  one  from  the  bull's-eye 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       177 

into  the  "two  space"  on  the  target.  And  lastly, 
and  most  important,  the  pull  must  be  perfect 
for  every  shot.  The  least  little  unsteadiness  or 
jerk  in  the  trigger-pull  will  cause  a  miss  almost 
every  time. 

Every  refinement  must  be  used.  The  mi- 
crometer, telescope,  and  score-book  are  especial- 
ly necessary.  One  may  get  an  occasional  good 
score  without  these  aids,  but  his  average  work 
will  be  very  poor  indeed.  By  referring  to  the 
table  on  page  86,  it  will  be  seen  that  when  us- 
ing service  ammunition  and  not  using  the  mi- 
crometer the  radius  of  the  shot  group  will  be 
about  35.17  inches.  Of  course,  all  the  shots  will 
not  fly  as  wild  as  this,  but  every  little  while  one 
will,  and  this  one  often  is  a  miss,  or  else  it 
causes  one  to  think  his  sighting  is  wrong  and 
plays  the  mischief  with  the  score  generally.  jn_ 
dividuals,  and  organizations  shooting  at  long 
range  without  the  micrometer  will  find  that 
scores  of  25  to  30  out  of  a  possible  50  is  about  the 
best  they  are  able  to  average.  If,  however,  the 
micrometer  is  used,  we  eliminate  the  error  in 
sight-adjustment  and  the  radius  of  the  shot 
group  is  reduced  to  about  18.9  inches.  The 
average  scores  of  good  shots  at  1000  yards  un- 
der these  conditions  will  be  found  to  run  from 


178       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

about  35  to  42  out  of  a  possible  50.  Service  am- 
munition made  in  lots  of  millions  of  rounds  can- 
not, of  course,  have  the  special  attention  given 
to  it  during  manufacture  whijch  makes  special 
match  ammunition  so  accurate.  Service  ammu- 
nition gives  a  mean  vertical  deviation  at  1000 
yards  of  about  8.9  inches,  and  the  special  match 
ammunition  used  by  the  American  Bisley  Tean) 
fin  1908  gave  a  deviation  of  only  5.29  inches. 
This  difference  is  enough  to  cause  the  best  shots 
of  the  country  using  the  latter  ammunition  to 
average  47  to  48  out  of  a  possible  50  at  1000 
yards,  and  with  this  ammunition  perfect  scores 
of  50  at  1000  yards  have  become  very  common. 
Therefore,  at  long  range,  to  get  good  results,  you 
must  use  a  micrometer  and  the  most  perfect  am- 
munition you  can  obtain. 

A  good  telescope  or  powerful  field-glass  is 
also  essential.  Small  changes  in  mirage  drift 
must  be  watched  for,  quickly  determined;  and  al- 
lowance made  for  them.  This  is  especially  nec- 
essary in  fish-tail*  winds. 

*Fish-tail  winds  are  those  coming  from  the  general 
direction  of  6  or  12  o'clock,  but  which  are  constantly 
chane-ing  from  5  to  7  o'clock,  or  from  11  to  1  o'clock. 
The  flag  flutters  irom  one  side  to  t^e  other  continuously, 
and  it  only  through  the  glass  that  one  can  gain  a  true 
estimate. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       179 

The  score-book  is  very  necessary  at  long 
range,  in  order  that  one  may  keep  accurate  rec- 
ords of  elevations  and  weather  conditions.  These 
change  so  often,  and  the  change  amounts  to  so 
much  at  long  range,  that  any  attempt  to  keep 
these  in  the  head  soon  results  in  confusifon  and 
drives  everyone  to  the  score-book. 

You  must  have  a  thermometer,  barometer,  and 
hygrometer,  and  must  use  them,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  bring  them  to  the  firing-point,  but  they 
should  be  read  shortly  before  firing.  A  man 
may  use  an  elevation  of  1025  yards  at  the  1000- 
yard  range  one  day,  and  the  next  day  his  cor- 
rect elevation  may  be  only  900  yards.  If  he  has 
no  instruments  and  does  not  know  how  to  use 
them,  it  may  take  him  from  five  to  fifteen  shots 
before  he  gets  a  hit  on  the  target.  Many  men's 
qualifications  as  sharpshooters  and  expert  rifle- 
men are  ruined  from  this  cause. 

A  score  previously  fired  at  800  yards  does  not 
always  gilve  a  true  indication  of  what  the  ele- 
vation will  be  at  1000  yards.  Often  one  will 
fire  and  make  an  excellent  score  at  800  yards 
with  his  normal  elevation,  and  on  immediately 
going  back  to  1000  yards  he  may  find  that  at 
that  range  he  has  to  use  4  or  5  minutes  of  ele- 
vation above  or  below  normal. 

It  occasionally  happens  that  elevations  worked 


180       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

out  according  to  all  the  rules  are  not  correct. 
It  is  here  that  the  experience  of  the  old  and 
seasoned  long-range  shot  comes  in.  He  seems  to 
know  by  instinct  which  way  to  move  to  get  a 
hit.  About  the  best  way  to  become  proficient  at 
long  range  is  to  get  such  a  man  for  a  coach. 

In  some  localities  scores  at  long  range  will 
be  found  to  average  quite  high  despite  the  ab- 
sence of  all  refinements.  This  will  be  found  to 
be  the  case  where  weather  conditions  vary  but 
little  during  the  shooting  season.  Thus,  in  cer- 
tain parts  of  the  Philippine  Islands  and  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  and 
time  of  day,  the  thermometer,  barometer,  and  hy- 
grometer will  be  found  to  have  almost  the  same 
readings  day  after  day.  Here  the  inexperienced 
shots  are  able  to  do  very  good  work  at  long 
range.  They  find  the  correct  elevation,  and  as 
long  as  they  keep  their  rifles  clean,  and  use  the 
same  ammunition,  they  can  stick  to  that  eleva- 
tion during  their  whole  season's  practice.  On 
the  majority  of  ranges  in  our  country,  however, 
during  the  shooting  season,  we  are  liable  to  have 
changes  in  temperature  of  300  degrees,  changes 
in  barometer  .of  24  of  an  inch,  and  changes  in 
hygrometer  of  40  per  cent ;  and  these  may  make 
differences  in  elevatibn  at  1000  yards  of  150 
yards,  or  10  to  15  minutes. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       181 

"Unaccountables''  are  shots  which  either  miss 
the  target  or  else  hit  it  in  a  quite  different  spot 
from  what  was  expected,  and  their  deviation 
from  the  rest  of  the  shot  group  cannot  be  ac- 
counted for.  A  true  "unaccountable"  is  usually 
due  to  a  faulty  cartridge,  but  one  has  to  be  a  very 
good  shot  indeed  before  he  can  truly  blame  a  bad 
shot  on  the  ammunition.  Very  often  unaccount- 
ably bad  shots  are  more  liable  to  be  small  errors 
in  pull-off,  small  changes  in  mirage,  wind,  or 
light,  etc.,  which  have  escaped  the  rifleman's 
notice.  With  ammunition  giving  a  large  vertical 
deviation  "unaccountables"  ar?  more  liable  to  oc- 
cur than  with  the  more  recent  accurate  loads. 
One  may,  for  instance,  aim  a  little  high  without 
noticing  it,  and  then  pull  off  a  Ifttle  high,  and 
the  shot  may  be  one  of  those  striking  at  the  top 
of  the  shot  group,  in  which  case  the  shot  may 
go  over  the  top  of  the  target,  and  lead  one  to 
think  he  has  had  an  "unaccountable"  shot  when 
such  Js  really  not  the  case.  With  the  recent 
great  improvement  in  ammunition  and  the  al- 
most universal  use  of  the  micrometer,  the  word 
"unaccountable"  has  almost  disappeared  from 
the  vocabulary  of  the  really  expert  shot. 

It  is  of  little  use  attempting  to  get  accur- 
ate results  at  long  range  when  the  targets  are 
marked  with  the  big  old-fashioned  marking  disk. 


1 82       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

One  must  know  exactly  where  his  shot  hits  the 
target.  The  alternative  method  of  marking, 
with  shot  marks  or  "spotters,"*  as  prescribed  in 
the  latter  part  of  Paragraph  103,  Small-Arms 
Firing  Regulations  1906,  should  be  used  ex- 
clusively. 

To  sum  up,  the  following  precautions  should 
always  be  used  in  long-range  firing: 

1.  Keep  your  barrel  w  perfect  condition. 

2.  Use  a  micrometer  and  the  best  ammunition 
you  can  get. 

3.  Read  the  thermometer,  barometer,  and  hy- 
grometer before  starting  your  score,  and  figure 
out  your  elevation. 

4.  Watch  the  flags  and  mirage  closely  before 
each  shot. 

5.  Remember  that  a  perfect  pull-off  only  will 
hit  the  target. 

*Spotters  are  small  .30-caliber  pegs  or  nails  with  a 
round  head  of  card-board  or  tin.  The  spotter  is  inserted 
in  the  bullet-hole  of  the  last  shot  fired  and  the  card-board 
head  is  seen  by  the  rifleman  when  the  target  is  raised 
after  being  marked.  Black  card-board  is  used  to  mark 
shots  which  hit  in  the  white  of  the  target,  and  white  card- 
board for  the  bull's-eyes.  The  card-board  should  be  about 
6  inches  in  diameter  for  long  range  and  3  inches  for  mid 
range.  Field-glasses  are  needed  to  see  them.  This  sys- 
tem of  marking  is  used  exclusively  in  the  National  Matches, 
and  at  Camp  Perry  and  Sea  Girt. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


SERVICE  AMMUNITION. 

It  is  just  as  necessary  to  have  accurate  ammu- 
nition as  it  is  to  have  an  accurate  rifle,  and  a 
knowledge  of  what  constitutes  a  good  ammuni- 
tion is  needed  by  every  rifleman.  In  order  to  un- 
derstand the  subject  thoroughly,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  glance  for  a  moment  at  the  history  of 
niodern  high-pjower  ammunition  development. 
Prior  to  the  year  1900,  the  cartridge  for  the 
Krag  rifle  was  loaded  with  Du  Pont  and  Pey- 
ton Smokeless  powders,  and  the  bullet  had  a 
cupro-nickel  jacket  having  one  canelure,  irito 
which  the  shell  was  crimped.  This  ammunition 
was  very  defective — in  fact,  it  would  hardly  stay 
on  the  target  at  600  yards ;  and  as  a  consequence 
fine  shooting  with  the  Krag  up  to  this  time  was 
an  unknown  accomplishment.  The  bullet  was 
badly  balanced  and  in  diameter  measured  a  scant 
.307  inch,  while  the  majority  of  barrels  then  in 
the  hands  of  riflemen  were  bored  extremely 
large,  recording  on  the  micrometer  all  the  way 
from  .308  to  .313  Inch.  The  consequence  was 
that  gas-cutting  occurred — that  is  to  say,  the  ex- 

—183— 


184       Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen. 

tremely  hot  gases  rushed  past  between  the  bul- 
let and  the  barrel  and,  cutting  like  a  diamond- 
pointed  tool,  deformed  both  bullet  and  barrel  and 
destroyed  accuracy.  The  two  mentioned  kinds 
of  powder,  the  only  kinds  produced  at  that  time, 
were  also  deficient,  giving  a  great  amount  of 
residue  and  many  unburnt  grains  of  powder. 
This  fouling  was  flattened  down  into  the  grooves 
of  the  barrel  by  the  passage  of  the  succeeding 
bullets  and  caused  variations  in  the  velocity  with 
the  consequent  increase  in  the  vertical  dispersion 
of  shots. 

Up  to  this  time  (1909)  gas-cutting  was  almost 
an  unknown  factor  in  rifle  ballistics.  It  did 
not  figure  in  the  ammunition  for  the  .45-caliber 
Springfield  rifle,  because  with  black  powder  and 
lead  bullets  the  explosion  of  the  powder  struck 
the  bullet  a  severe  blow,  upsetting  or  expanding 
it  immediately  to  completely  fill  the  barrel  to  the 
bottom  of  the  grooves.  With  smokeless  powder 
and  jacketed  bullets  there  is  scarcely  any  upset, 
and  if  the  bullet  in  its  original  diameter  does  not 
fit  the  barrel  completely  to  the  bottom  of  the 
grooves,  gas-cuttitng  is  sure  to  occur. 
^  In  the  latter  part  of  1900  the  Frankford 
Arsenal  started  the  issue  of  ammunition  load- 
ed with  Laflin  &  Rand  W.  A.  powder  and  the 
"3-groove  lubricated"  bullet.  This  ammunition 


Suggestions   to   Military  Riflemen.       185 

was  so  much  better  than  the  old  that  target  prac- 
tice started  to  improve  immediately.  The  W.  A. 
powder  was  found  to  be  practically  perfect,  and 
to  this  day  continues  to  be  the  standard  and  best 
powder  for  our  military  rifles.  The  "3-groove 
lubricated"  bullet  was  very  much  better  balanced 
than  the  old  bullet  having-  three  canelures  which 
contained  lubricant.  The  bullet,  however,  still 
measured  .307  inch  and  gas-cuttimg  continued  to 
occur.  This  ammunition  behaved  very  well  up 
to  900  yards,  but  beyond  that  distance  many  of 
the  bullets  lost  their  gyrostatic  stability  and 
tumbled  or  key-holed,  making  the  cimrnunition 
very  unsatisfactory  for  looo-yard  work.  The 
lubricant  in  the  grooves  of  this  bullet  has  since 
proved  to  be  unnecessary.  There  exists  a  need 
for  lubrication  of  high-power  ammunition,  but 
no  lubricant  has  been  found)  up  to  the  present 
time  which  will  fulfill  the  requirements.  Ow- 
ing to  the  high  temperature  developed  by  the 
smokeless  powder,  the  ordinary  lubricant  under- 
goes chemical  disorganization — is  split  up  into 
its  constituent  elements,  carbon  and  hydrogen. 
The  hydrogen,  being  a  gas,  escapes,  leaving  the 
carbon  behind ;  and  the  carbon,  far  from  being  a 
lubricant,  only  adds  to  the  fouling  of  the  gun. 
In  the  summer  of  1902,  on  the  eve  of  an  inter- 
national rifle  match,  the  Union  Metallic  Cart- 


1 86       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

ridge  Company,  aided  by  their  expert,  Mr.  W. 
M.  Thomas,  produced  the  first  really  satisfactory 
bullet  that  had  appeared.  This  is  known  as  the 
"Thomas"  bullet.  It  is  perfectly  smooth,  with  no 
canelures,  and,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  great 
majority  of  barrels  measured  over  .308  inch,  the 
new  bullet  was  given  a  diameter  of  .3085  inch 
and  the  base  was  made  perfectly  strai'ght  and 
square.  This  brings  us  to  the  two  great  desid- 
eratums  of  modern  rifle  bullets.  The  bullet 
should  have  a  diameter  a  trifle  greater  than  the 
diameter  of  the  bore  of  the  barrel  to  prevent  gas- 
cutting  and  to  prolong  the  life  of  the  barrel.  The 
base  of  the  bullet  should  be  perfectly  straight 
and  square,  and  the  bullet  should  maintain  its 
maximum  diameter  right  down  to  the  base.  If 
the  bullet  is  made  in  this  manner,  the  instant 
that  the  base  of  the  bullet  leaves  the  muzzle  of 
the  barrel  the  gas  will  escape  equally  all  around 
and  perfect  delivery  will  occur.  This  is  a  great 
element  in  the  accuracy  of  a  bullet.  If  the  base 
is  in  the  least  rounded,  the  gas  is  very  apt  to  es- 
cape unequally  at  the  instant  of  departure,  and 
the  gas  first  escaping  will  strike  the  base  and 
side  of  the  bullet,  tipping  it  and  giving  it  an  un- 
steady flight. 

Shortly  after  the  appearance  of  the  Thomas 
bullet,  the  Frankford  Arsenal  started  to  produce 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       187 

its  new  smooth  bullet,  which  was  very  much  the 
same,  except  that  it  measured  only  .308  inch  at 
its  largest  diameter,  which  was  about  ^  of  an 
inch  above  the  base.  After  that  the  Winchester 
Repeating  Arms  Company  produced  its  Hudson- 
Winchester  bullet  and  the  Peters  Cartridge  Com- 
pany its  special  bullet,  so  that  to-day  all  the  am- 
munition manufactured  in  this  country  for  our 
military  rifles  is  excellent  and  performs  in  a  sat- 
isfactory manner. 

When  the  Government  first  started  to  produce 
ammunition  for  the  Model  1903  rifle,  they  used 
the  new  smooth  bullet  exactly  as  used  in  the 
Krag  cartridge.  With  this  bullet  it  was  found 
that  the  increase  of  300  feet  per  second  in  the 
velocity  caused  the  jackets  of  about  two  bul- 
lets in  every  100  to  split,  giving  unaccountable 
misses.  Therefore,  in  the  spring  of  1905,  the 
jackets  of  the  bullets  were  increased  in  thick- 
ness from  .016  inch  to  .020  inch  and  the  max- 
imum diameter  of  the  bullet  increased  from  .308 
to  .3085  inch. 

In  the  mean  time  the  German  Government  had 
been  making  experiments  with  and  had  adopted 
a  bullet  having  a  very  sharp,  long  point  and 
weighing  only  154  grains.  This  bullet  was 
known  as  the  Spitzer,  and  was  calculated*  to  be 
influenced  or  retarded  by  the  resistance  of  the 


1 88       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

air  very  much  less  than  the  old  form  of  bullet. 
The  bullet  was  given  the  then  extreme  velocity 
of  2700  feet  per  second,  and  the  trajectory  was 
greatly  flattened  at  all  ranges,  giving  a  danger 
space  for  infantry  against  infantry  of  700  yards. 

The  tactical  advantages  of  this  bullet  were 
such  that  our  Ordnance  Department  took  the 
matter  up  at  once.  Contrary  to  expectations,  it 
was  found  that  the  new  bullet  was  very  accurate 
and  moreover  that  it  was  deflected  by  the  wind 
only  about  half  as  much  as  a  bullet  of  the  old 
form  of  the  same  weight.  Our  old  and  reliable 
W.  A.  powrder  was  found,  however,  to  erode  the 
barrel  so  much  with  these  large  charges  as  to 
be  out  of  the  question.  The  E.  I.  Du  Pont  de 
Nemours  Powder  Company,  however,  quickly 
developed  two  very  satisfactory  powders,  the 
°yrocellulose  and  the  Du  Pont  Military  Powder, 
the  latter  being  known  in  the  service  as  N.  G. 
S.  Q.  powder. 

The  adaptation  of  this  bullet  to  the  Model 
1903  rifle  necessitated  making  the  neck  of  the 
shell  shorter  and  rechambering  the  rifle.  These 
changes  were  made  to  all  arms  and  the  new 
rifles  and  ammunition  were  iissued  to  both  the 
Regular  Army  and  National  Guard  during  the 
winter  of  1907-1908. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.        189 

The  more  important  data  for  this  new  cart- 
ridge, which  is  at  present  the  standard  ammuni- 
tion for  the  Model  1903  rifle,  are  as  follows: 
Weight  of  bullet,  150  grains. 
Diameter  of  bullet  at  base,  .3085  inch  max. 

— .3081  inch  min. 
Length   of   bullet,    1.095    incn   max. — 1.065 

inch  min. 

Muzzle  velocity,  2700  feet  per  second. 
Instrumental  velocity  at  78  feet,  2640  feet 

per  second. 

Chamber  pressure,  50,000  pounds. 
These  cartridges  are  packed  in  clips  of  five 
each.  Sixty  cartridges,  in  twenty  clips,  are 
packed  in  a  bandoleer  of  olive  drab  cloth,  con- 
taining six  pockets,  each  one  holding  two  clips. 
Twelve  hundred  cartridges,  in  twenty  bandoleers, 
are  packed  in  a  sealed  zinc  case  enclosed  in  a 
wooden  box  34.  s  inches  by  9.5  inches  by  8.27 
inches,  which  weighs  when  filled  about  99  pounds. 
The  date  of  loading  of  the  contained  cartridges 
is  stamped  on  each  end  of  the  wooden  box. 

There  has  been  considerable  discussion  as  to 
which  of  the  two  powders  used  in  this  cartridge 
are  the  best.  The  Pyrocellulose  powder  gives 
much  less  erosion  than  the  Du  Pont  1908  Mili- 
tary, but  it  has  been  claimed  that  the  residue  of 
Pyrocellulose  is  very  sticky,  and  that  it  accum- 


igo       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

ulates  in  the  barrel,  causing  the  shots  to  drop 
lower  and  lower  on  the  target,  until  finally  a 
shot  comes  along  which  seems  to  take  out  with 
it  much  of  the  fouling  and  the  following  shot 
goes  much  higher.  This  fault,  however,  is  not 
very  well  established,  and  the  Ordnance  Depart- 
ment have  been  unable  to  discover  it.  The  shoot- 
ing qualities  of  Pyrocellulose  are  greatly  affect- 
ed by  the  varying  degrees  of  moisture  in  the  air 
at  the  time  of  loading,  so  that  cartridges  loaded 
on  one  day  are  apt  to  shoot  very  differently  from 
those  loaded  on  another  day.  In  shooting  am- 
munition loaded  with  this  powder,  i|t  is  well  to 
endeavor  to  get  sufficient  of  one  date  of  loading 
to  carry  one  through  the  whole  season's  shooting. 

It  is  claimed  for  the  Du  Pont  1908  Military 
Powder  that  it  is  free  from  these  defects,  but  it 
undoubtedly  erodes  the  bore  more  than  does  the 
Pyrocellulose.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  there  are 
very  few  men  indeed  in  the  country  who  can 
shoot  well  enough  to  discover  any  difference  be- 
tween the  two. 

Pyrocellulose  powder  is  a  variety  of  nitrocell- 
ulose colloided  or  gelatinized  by  means  of  ether 
and  alcohol,  which  afterwards  evaporate;  the 
colloid  being  formed  into  granules  of  the  proper 
dimension  for  the  gun  in  which  it  is  to  be  shot. 
It  has  been  used  for  several  years  in  large  guns 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       191 

in  our  Navy.  Its  great  advantage  is  due  to  the 
low  temperature  of  its  combustion.  Pyrocellu- 
lose  powder  is  more  expensive  to  manufacture 
than  the  Du  Pont  1908  Military  Powder,  which 
is  practically  the  old  W.  A.  formula  modified 
so  as  to  lower  the  temperature  of  combustion. 
With  the  latter  powder  the  accurate  life  of  a 
barrel  measuring  .308  inches  for  accurate  long- 
range  work  is  a  little  over  4500  rounds,  provid- 
ed it  is  properly  cared  for.  With  Pyrocellulose 
the  life  is  about  one-third  longer  than  this.  The 
normal  charge  of  Pyrocellulose  powder  weighs 
from  48  to  50  grains. 

In  June,  1908,  the  National  Rifle  Association 
conducted  a  series  of  ammunitiion  tests  to  deter- 
mine the  best  ammunition  for  use  by  the  Amer- 
ican team  in  the  International  Olympic  Rifle 
Matches  in  England  in  July  of  that  year.  These 
tests  proved  conclusively  that  the  ammunition 
manufactured  by  the  United  States  Cartridge 
Company  was  the  best  at  that  time.  The  bullet 
for  this  cartridge  had  the  same  point  as  the 
Government  ISO-grain  bullet,  but  it  was  length- 
ened so  as  to  weigh  180  grains.  Enough  Du 
Pont  1908  Military  Powder  was  used  to  make 
the  cartridge  shoot  with  the  same  sight  eleva- 
tions as  the  Government  standard  ammunition. 
Iin  the  tests  this  ammunition  showed  a  mean 


192       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 
vertical  deviation  of  all  record  shots  as  follows: 


Range  Slow  fire  17  shots  each. 


200  yards  .74  inches     1.21   inches 

•600  yards     |  2.81   inches 

1000  yards  5.63  inches     5.17  inches  5.06  ins. 

|  Rapid  fire  10  shots  each. 

200  yards  .97  inches     1.05  inches 

Making  a  grand  aggregate  mean  vertical  devia- 
tion of  all  record  shots  fired  of  2.83  inches. 

This  ammunition  should  really  not  be  classi- 
fied as  Service  Ammunition,  but  rather  as  Spe- 
cial Match  Ammunition ;  as,  although  it  fulfills 
all  the  requirements  of  a  good  service  ammuni- 
ti'on,  yet  in  time  of  war  the  rush  of  manufacture 
would  make  the  little  precautions  taken  in  its 
manufacture  impossible,  and  its  accuracy  would 
not  be  maintained  so  high. 

One  of  the  principal  factors  in  the  accuracy  of 
a  cartridge  is  the  uniformity  of  the  powder.  It 
was  found  that  a  difference  of  i  grain  in  the 
weight  of  powder  in  the  Krag  cartridge  would 
make  a  difference  in  point  of  impact  at  1000 
yards  of  about  20  inches.  It  is  probable  that  with 
the  present  cartridge  the  difference  would  be 
much  less  than  this,  but  iit  would  still  be  a  big 
factor  in  the  vertical  deviation  of  the  ammuni- 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       193 

tion.  Our  modern  powders  cannot  be  measured 
with  great  accuracy,  for  the  grains  are  of  such 
shape  that  they  pile  up  differently  in  the  meas- 
ure, sometimes  forming  small  voids  in  the  mass. 
The  only  way  to  get  absolute  uniformity  in  the 
powder  charge  is  to  weigh  each  charge  separate- 
ly, and  the  impression  seems  to  exist  among  rifle- 
men that  the  private  ammunition  companies  re- 
sort to  this  in  preparing  ammunition  for  im- 
portant competitions  and  for  certain  classes  of 
customers. 

In  considering  the  improvements  in  bullets 
and  powder  we  must  not  forget  the  primers. 
Formerly  the  primers  were  of  the  mercuri'al  va- 
riety, but  it  was  found  that  the  mercury  com- 
bined with  the  zinc  in  the  shell  metal,  causing 
amalgamation  and  making  the  fired  shells  so 
brittle  that  they  could  not  be  reloaded.  Since 
1900  all  Government  ammunition  has  been  load- 
ed with  a  non-mercurial  primer,  known  as  the 
H  48,  and  the  shells  no  longer  become  brittle 
and  can  be  reloaded  many  times. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


MID-  AND  SHORT-RANGE  AMMUNITION. 

Service  ammunition  is  very  expensive  and  it 
quickly  wears  out  the  barrel  of  the  rifle.  More- 
over it  ils  unsafe  to  use  it,  except  on  a  range  espe- 
cially designed  or  located  for  its  use.  There 
must  be  a  large  hill  or  mountain,  large  lake  or 
ocean  in  rear  of  the  range  for  a  bullet-stop,  for 
the  maximum  range  is  5465  yards.  These  feat- 
ures often  make  it  desirable  to  use  another  kind 
of  ammunition. 

Mid-range  ammunition  may  be  defined  as  am- 
munition accurate  to  600  yards,  which  has  less 
velocity  and  erosion,  and  which  costs  less  to  pro- 
duce or  reload,  than  service  ammunition. 

Short-range  ammunitilon  is  accurate  at  200 
yards,  less  powerful,  and  cheaper  than  mid- 
range  ammunition,  and  should  cause  no  barrel 
erosion  at  all.  Under  this  head  may  also  be  in- 
cluded gallery  ammunition,  which  is  accurate  at 
ranges  varying  from  25  yards  to  200  yards,  ac- 
cording to  the  requirements. 

These  classes  of  ammunition  are  not  on  the 
market.  They  are  loaded  by  individuals,  clubs, 
and  organizations  of  the  National  Guard,  accord- 

—194— 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       195 

ing  to  their  requirements  and  ideas.  In  order  to 
understand  correctly  what  is  to  follow,  one  should 
procure  a  copy  of  the  Ideal  Handbook  from 
the  Ideal  Manufacturing  Company,  New  Haven, 
Conn.  It  will  be  sent  on  request  if  four  cents 
in  stamps  is  enclosed.  The  little  work  is  the 
authority  in  America  on  reloading  ammunitibn, 
and  is  also  partly  the  catalogue  of  the  Ideal 
Manufacturing  Company,  who  make  reloading 
tools. 

The  following  general  rules  apply  in  reload- 
ing ammunition : 

Only  shells  manufactured  at  the  Frankford 
Arsenal  should  be  used,  and  preferably  those 
that  have  been  once  fired  in  the  rifle  the  reload- 
ed ammunition  is  to  be  used  in.  If  shells  are  to 
be  kept  lo'aded  only  a  month  or  two,  they  need 
not  be  cleaned  inside;  otherwise  they  should  be 
cleaned  with  acid,  according  to  the  formula  given 
in  the  Appendix. 

In  priming  shells,  use  the  Government  H  48 
primer,  Union  Metallic  Cartridge  Company  No. 
9,  or  the  United  States  Cartridge  Company  No. 
2j/£.  These  are  non-mercuric  and  do  not  injure 
the  shells. 

In  measuring  powder,  use  the  Ideal  Universal 
Powder  Measures  and  set  the  scale  according  to 
the  tables  in  the  Ideal  Handbook.  There  is  lit- 


196       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

tie  advantage  gained  in  weighing  the  powder 
charges  unless  the  cartridges  are  intended  for 
long-range  work,  in  which  case  it  is  a  necessity. 
Remember,  smokeless  powders  do  not  weigh  the 
same  as  black ;  also  that  different  kinds  differ 
in  weight.  The  charges  given  here  should  not 
be  exceeded,  as  a  larger  charge  will  either  be 
dangerous  or»  inaccurate. 

If  lead  alloy  bullets  are  used,  they  should  have 
a  diameter  of  .311  inch.  Smaller  bullets  than 
this  will  be  inaccurate.  Moulding  bullets  is  not 
recommended  for  the  average  man,  as  it  takes 
considerable  skill  to  produce  a  perfect  bullet, 
and  it  is  very  little  cheaper  than  buying  them 
already  moulded,  lubricated,  and  sized  from  the 
Ideal  Manufacturing  Company. 

Before  starting  to  load  the  shells,  their  muz- 
zles must  be  resized  in  a  muzzle  resizer  and  then 
expanded  in  a  shell-expanding  chamber,  to  just 
the  size  for  the  bullet  intended  to  be  used.  Bul- 
lets should  be  tight  enough  in  the  shell  after 
seating  to  prevent  their  receding  on  the  pow- 
der with  ordinary  pressure.  Crimping,  however, 
destroys  accuracy. 

Ordinary  alloy  bullets  cannot  be  used  at  velo- 
cities over  about  1450  feet,  as  the  large  powder 
charge  for  high  velocities  generates  so  much 
heat  that  the  base  of  the  bullet  is  melted.  If 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       197 

higher  velocities  are  desired,  a  copper  base  or  gas 
check  must  be  added  to  the  bullet,  as  in  bullet 
No.  308334.  Alloy  bullets  cause  less  wear  to  the 
barrel  than  jacketed  bullets.  They  are  also  much 
cheaper,  and  they  give  a  slightly  higher  velocity 
w;th  the  same  charge  of  powder. 

If  jacketed  bullets  are  used,  only  those  having 
cupro-nilckel  jackets  should  be  purchased.  Many 
inferior  bullets,  jacketed  with  copper  and  tin- 
plated,  are  on  the  market.  These  can  easily  be 
detected  by  polishing  with  brass  polish. 

Ideal  Bullet  Metal,  procurable  from  the  Ideal 
Manufacturing  Company,  te  composed  of  80 
parts  lead,  10  parts  tin,  7  parts  antimony,  and  3 
parts  copper  by  weight.  It  Is  the  most  satis- 
factory alloy,  as  it  is  tough  enough  to  stand  the 
10-inch  twisfc  of  the  rifling,  and  has  a  higher 
melting-point  than  a  plain  lead  and  tin  alloy. 

The  accuracy  of  reloaded  cartridges  depends 
entirely  upon  the  care  taken,  and  the  skill  shown 
in  loading.  Properly  loaded,  this  reloaded  am- 
munition is  far  superior  to  the  output  of  the 
.machines. 

For  mid-range  work,  a  very  satisfactory  load 
is  obtained  by  using  the  regular  150  grain  Gov- 
ernment jacketed  bullet  with  a  powder  charge 
31  grains  weight  of  Laflin  &  Rand  "Light- 
ning" powder.  This  is  a  very  fine  shooting 


198       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

cartridge,  and  comparatively  cheap  and  very 
easy  to  reload.  At  500  yards  it  will  require  an 
elevation  of  about  775  yards  on  the  sight. 

Another  excellent  mid-range  load  consists  of 
Ideal  bullet  No.  308334,  with  copper  gas  check 
on  the  base  and  a  powder  charge  of  25  grains 
weight  of  Lightning  powder.  The  bullet  should 
be  made  of  Ideal  alloy,  lubricated  and  sized  to 
.311  inch.  Bullets  can  be  purchased  lubricated 
and  sized  with  gas  check  affixed  from  the  Ideal 
Company,  or  they  can  be  moulded  by  the  rifle- 
man himself  in  moulds  procured  from  the  same 
firm.  This  load  gives  almost  no  barrel  erosion 
at  all  and  is  cheaper  than  the  foregoiiig  load. 
It  is,  however,  not  quite  so  accurate  in  high 
winds  as  the  other.  This  load  is  used  extensive- 
ly in  the  National  Guard  and  for  the  school-boys 
shooting  in  the  public  schools. 

For  short-range  work  (200  and  300  yards) 
and  sub-skirmish  (see  Chapter  XIV.),  I  would 
recommend  Ideal  bullet  No.  308280,  cast  of  Ideal 
alloy  and  sized  to  .311  inch.  The  powder  charge 
should  be  15  grains  weight  of  Du  Pont  Marks- 
man or  New  Schuetzen  powders.  A  larger 
charge  of  these  powders  should  not  be  used  be- 
hind a  bullet  with  unprotected  base.  This  load 
gives  no  barrel  erosion  at  all  and  is  very  cheap, 
and  quite  accurate.  The  New  Schuetzen  powder 
is  fine  and  cheaper  than  Marksman. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       199 

For  gallery  work,  I  have  found  the  most  satis- 
factory load  to  be  Ideal  bullet  No.  308241,  cast 
of  half  Ideal  alloy  and  half  pure  lead  and  sized 
to  .311  inch,  with  a  powder  charge  of  ir  grains 
weight  of  Marksman  or  New  Schuetzen  pow- 
ders. The  bullets  can  be  purchased  from  the 
Ideal  Company  for  $4.50  per  thousand.  This 
load  is  quite  accurate,  even  at  200  yards.  I  have 
fired  many  thousand  rounds  of  it  with  perfect 
satisfaction,  even  in  the  tropics. 


1154 
No.  308334.        No.  308241.        No.  308280. 

FIGURE  23— Ideal  Mid-  and  Short-Range  Bullets.* 


*General  Drain,  President  of  the  National  Rifle  Asso- 
ciation and  editor  of  Arms  and  the  Man,  reports  that  the 
first  prize,  in  the  late  Ideal  Short-Range  Military  Rifle 
Match,  amounting  to  $80,  was  won  by  Charles  B.  Chis- 
holm,  of  Company  "C,"  5th  Infantry,  O.  N.  G.,  Cleve- 
land^. He  used  bullet  No.  308241;  distance  shot,  50 
yards,  indoor;  bull's-eye,  2-inch;  charge  of  powder, 


2OO       Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen. 

The  reloading  tools  made  by  the  Ideal  Manu- 
facturing- Company  are  of  two  classes :  the 
small  inexpensive  hand  tools,  intended  for  in- 
dividual riflemen,  and  the  armory  outfits,  intend- 
ed for  turning  out  ammunition  in  large  quanti- 
ties. There  is  no  difference  in  the  quality  of 
the  work  done  with  either.  The  principal  arm- 
ory tools  are  shown  in  Figure  24.  A  complete 
hand  loading  set  for  loading  service  ammunition, 
also  bullets  Nos.  308334  and  308280  or  208241, 
will  cost  about  $20  with  bullet  moulds  and  lu- 
bricating and  sizing  machine,  or  about  $9.50  if 
one  does  not  intend  to  mould  his  own  bullets. 
The  armory  outfit  is  much  more  expensive.  The 
Ideal  Bullet  Metal  costs  from  n  to  15  cents  per 
pound,  according  to  the  quantity  ordered. 

grains,  New  Schuetzen  powder;  his  score  was  62  consecu- 
tive bull's-eyes.  The  second,  third,  fourth,  ?nd  fifth 
prizes  are  awarded  Patrick  J.  O'Hare,  Private  Company 
"L,"  1st  Regiment,  N.  J.  N.  G.,  Newark,  N.  J.  The 
scores  he  made  are  58,  54,  48,  and  29;  he  used  10  grains 
Marksman  powder:  distance  he  shot,  100  yards;  4-inch 
bull's-eve,  Both  shot  from  prone  position. 

On  Lincoln's  Birthdav,  William  H.  French,  of  New- 
ark, N.  J.,  using  bullet  No.  308334,  in  a  100-shot  match, 
290  yards  off-hand,  made  the  following  scores:  46,  46,  45, 
46,  45,  43,  46,  44,  43,  47,  total,  451.  All  the  shooting 
was  done  with  a  Springfield  .30-caliber  rifle,  Model  1903, 
chambered  for  1906  ammunition. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


COMPANY  AND  TEAM  PRACTICE. 

In  taking  a  company  or  troop  through  the  reg- 
ular yearly  preliminary  and  range  practice,  the 
endeavor  should  be  made  not  only  to  obtain  a 
high  figure  of  merit  for  the  organization,  but 
also  to  thoroughly  instill  in  each  man  the  correct 
principles  of  good  rifle-shooting.  If  men  are  al- 
lowed to  use  their  own  crude  methods  or  to  dis- 
cover for  themselves  methods  at  variance  with 
those  heretofore  given,  a  few  of  them  may  de- 
velop into  fair  shots,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  none 
of  them  will  ever  become  really  excellent  shots 
until  they  adopt  the  correct  methods.  An  ex- 
perienced officer  can  tell  at  a  glance,  when 
watching  a  company  at  practice,  whether  they 
have  been  well  instructed  in  the  correct  form, 
or  whether  their  marksmanship  has  been  picked 
up  haphazard.  It  goes  without  saying  that  most 
of  the  effort  should  be  placed  on  the  poorer  shots, 
as  a  company  composed  of  a  great  number  of 
good  shots  is  much  more  efficient  on  the  firing- 
line  than  one  containing  a  few  excellent  shots, 
and  the  method  of  calculating  the  figure  of  mer- 
it of  an  organization  is  so  designed  as  to  make 

—202— 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       203 

it  more  desirable  to  eliminate  the  second-  and 
third-class  men  from  the  company  than  it  is  to 
develop  expert  riflemen.  At  the  same  time  the 
presence  of  a  number  of  excellent  shots,  well  up 
in  the  theory  of  shooting,  is  highly  desirable,  not 
only  that  they  may  act  as  coaches,  but  for  the 
example  they  set  and  the  stimulus  they  give  to 
the  remainder  of  the  men. 

The  following  methods  and  order  of  proced- 
ure, used  in  the  writer's  company  of  regular 
infantry,  have  always  been  so  perfectly  success- 
ful that  it  has  been  deemed  advisable  to  give 
them  here : 

When  the  period  for  preliminary  drills  has 
been  designated  by  the  regimental  commander, 
the  recruits  and  all  men  who  have  joined  since 
the  last  regular  target  season  are  personally  and 
individually  instructed  in  the  method  of  aiming 
correctly  and  in  cleaning  the  rifle.  The  whole 
company  are  then  put  at  work  on  the  third  tri- 
pod exercise,  making  triangles  (see  Paragraphs 
14  to  22,  Small- Arms  Firing  Regulations).  In- 
stead of  the  ordinary  tripod  with  sand-bag,  it  has 
been  found  much  better  to  use  for  holding  the 
rifle  a  solid  post  8x8  inches,  firmly  planted  in 
the  ground  and  projecting  therefrom  4  feet  4 
inches,  having  on  its  top  a  clamp  or  vise  similar 
to  the  vise  on  a  carpenters'  work-bench.  The 


2O4       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen, 

aim  of  the  rifle  is  never  disturbed  in  this,  and 
the  practice  is  greatly  facilitated.  In  order  to 
throw  the  sights  off  the  mark,  the  elevation  and 
windage  of  the  rear  sight  are  merely  changed. 
(As  soon  as  a  man  succeeds  in  making  fairly 
small  triangles  with  both  open  and  peep  sight,  he 
is  excused  from  this  work.  The  whole  company 
will  qualify  in  about  four  days,  and  no  advantage 
is  gained  in  keeping  up  this  form  of  instruction 
any  longer. 

The  men  are  next  personally  instructed  in  as- 
suming the  correct  prone  position,  and  in  using 
the  gun-sling.  No  amount  of  pains  and  time  is 
spared  in  getting  every  man  absolutely  perfect 
in  this  position.  The  men  are  told  that  this  posi- 
tion and  the  use  of  the  sling  is  compulsory.  This 
is  followed  by  position  and  aiming  drills  in  the 
prone  position.  The  trigger  -  pull  exercise  is 
used  almost  exclusively,  and  usually  "at  will," 
the  men  being  encouraged  to  pull  twelve  shots 
as  carefully  as  possible,  and  then  take  a  short 
rest.  This  trig-ger-pull  exercise  in  the  prone 
position  is  continued  daily  for  the  remainder  of 
the  preliminary  period,  being  so  arranged  that 
each  man  gets  about  10  minutes  a  day  of  it,  the 
idea  being  that  the  men  must  be  thoroughly  at 
home  and  comfortable  in  the  prone  position.  Re- 
ferring to  the  regular  season's  course,  it  will  be 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       205 

seen  that  in  record  practice  a  man  going  through 
the  marksman's  and  sharpshooter's  course  and 
expert  test  fires  143  shots  prone,  30  sitting,  and 
30  standing,  and  moreover  the  prone  position  is 
used  at  the  most  difficult  ranges ;  hence  the  great 
amount  of  attention  given  it. 

About  this  time  gallery  practice  is  started, 
shooting  in  the  prone  position  first,  at  50  feet 
slow  fire  on  the  iron  target 

The  sitting  position  is  next  taken  up.  A  lit- 
tle more  latitude  is  allowed  the  men  in  assum- 
ing this  position,  it  being  merely  stipulated  that 
both  elbows  must  be  rested  upon  the  knees,  and 
that  the  heels  must  be  placed  in  deep  holes. 
During  these  position  and  aiming  drills  the  pick- 
mattock  intrenching  tools  are  brought  out  to 
facilitate  making  elbow  and  heel  holes  in  hard 
turf.  Gallery  practice  in  the  sitting  position 
follows. 

The  standing  position  is  next  taught.  No  pre- 
scribed position  is  insisted  on,  but  the  instruct- 
or endeavors  to  get  each  man  to  use  a  good 
steady  position  best  suited  to  his  own  comforma- 
tion  and  muscular  development.  Gallery  practice 
in  this  position  then  follows. 

When  the  instruction  in  the  three  positions  is 
completed,  rapid  fire  is  next  taken  up.  The  in- 
struction again  starts  with  the  prone  position, 


206       Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen. 

then  the  sitting  and  standing.  The  rapid-fire  ex- 
ercise of  position  and  aiming  drills  is  first  used, 
then  the  men  pass  to  timed  fire  gallery  practice 
on  the  50- foot  target,  and  finally  to  rapid  fire  on 
an  improvised  rapid-fire  gallery  target. 

Next  skirmish  fire  is  taken  up,  squads  mak- 
ing dummy  runs  under  a  competent  instructor, 
either  on  the  regular  range  or  at  targets  placed 
on  the  parade-ground.  Great  stress  is  laid  on 
the  proper  manipulation  of  the  piece  and  the  cor- 
rect setting  of  sights.  Various  winds  are  as- 
sumed and  allowance  made  for  them. 

A  certain  class  of  men,  the  best  shots  in  the 
company,  will  quickly  qualify  and  graduate  from 
this  kind  of  instruction.  These  are  put  to  work 
on  a  5O-yard  range  with  the  .22-caliber  Win- 
chester single-shot  rifle. 

Four  or  five  men,  the  best  shots  practically  and 
theoretically,  are  utilized  during  this  work  as  as- 
sistant coaches,  but  the  officers  should  give  very 
close  personal  attention. 

In  position  and  aiming  drills,  targets  are  used 
which  approximate  as  closely  as  possible  in  ap- 
pearance and  visual  angle  to  what  the  men  will 
see  on  the  range.  For  instance,  for  position  and 
aiming  drill  in  the  prone  position  the  target  con- 
sists of  a  long  board,  painted  dirty  green,  to  rep- 
resent the  butts  on  the  regular  range.  Above  it 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       207 

appear  the  targets  subtending  the  same  visual 
angle  as  do  the  B  targets  at  500  yards.  These 
targets  are  of  brown  (not  white)  paper,  so  as  to 
make  the  simile  complete,  and  they  are  placed 
so  as  to  appear  just  as  far  apart  as  do  the  tar- 
gets on  the  regular  range.  This  trains  the  eyes 
and  the  men  feel  more  at  home  when  they  come 
to  aim  at  the  regular  targets  on  the  range. 

Every  day  these  preliminary  drills  conclude 
with  the  company  in  si'ngle  rank,  and  the  posi- 
tion exercise  is  given.  This  exercise  is  not  given 
as  a  drill,  but  as  an  exercise  pure  and  simple, 
being  continued  until  the  men  have  to  stop  from 
sheer  fatigue,  the  idea  being  to  develop  the  mus- 
cles used  in  holding  the  rifle  to  the  fullest  extent. 
Needless  to  say,  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  give 
this  exercise  at  any  time  other  than  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  drill. 

Lectures  are  interspersed  with  this  work  every 
few  days.  First,  the  men  are  told  the  importance 
of  calling  their  shots,  and  this  is  insisted  upon  all 
through  the  aiming  drills  and  gallery  practice. 
Then  they  are  instructed  as  to  the  value  of  25 
yards  change  in  elevation  and  i  point  in  windage 
at  each  range,  and  the  necessity  of  accurately 
and  quickly  getting  their  rifles  so  sighted  that 
their  shots  strike  the  spot  where  they  call  their 
shots.  In  this  connection  they  are  taught  to  use 


208       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

the  "Table  of  Sight- Adjustments"  given  in  Chap- 
ter VII.,  but  they  are  not  required  to  memorize 
anything,  being  told  that  they  will  find  these 
tables  at  the  firing-point  when  they  reach  the 
range.  Next  windage  allowance  is  lectured  on, 
and  the  men  are  taught  to  use  the  diagram  of 
flag-lifts  and  windage  tables.  The  instructor 
tries  to  make  everything  as  simple  as  possible, 
giving  the  men  nothing  to  memorize,  but  rather 
trying  to  instill  in  them  the  principles  and  rea- 
sons. If  these  lectures  are  made  too  complicated 
or  scientific,  they  are  apt  to  do  more  harm  than 
good,  the  attitude  of  the  men  being,  "Oh,  what 's 
the  use?  That's  too  d,eep  for  me;  I  can  never 
learn  that,"  etc.  Only  one  idea  should  be  in- 
stilled at  a  time,  and  that  idea  should  be  thor- 
oughly carried  out  in  the  next  three  or  four 
davs'  practical  work.  Occasionally  the  men's 
pride  in  developing  themselves  into  good  shots, 
efficient  fighting  men,  should  be  appealed  to,  and 
also  their  desire  for  extra  pay  for  increased 
grades  of  qualification. 

The  interest  in  this  work  should  never  be  al- 
lowed to  lag.  The  instruction  should  be  so 
>varied  as  not  to  become  monotonousC  Men 
should  not  be  kept  hanging  around  for  a  long 
time  awaiting  their  turn,  but  should  be  allowed 
to  go  to  the  squad-room,  to  be  called  out  in 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       209 

plenty  of  time  by  their  squad  leader.     It  will' be 
noticed  that  the  men  in  the  above  course  of  in- 
struction are  steadily  changed  from  one  class  of 
work  to  another.     They  progress  from  slow  to 
timed  fire,  and  just  before  their  interest  wanes 
in  this  they  go  to  rapid  fire  on  the  queer  little 
disappearing  target,  and  their  interest  comes  up 
again.     Then  comes  skirmish.     All  this  may  be 
followed  and   interspersed  by   competitions,   in- 
dividual squad,  section,  and  platoon,  and  gallery 
matches   with    other    companies.     Men    making 
exceptionally    high    scores    are   granted    certain 
privileges,  prizes  are  given  to  the  best  squad  each 
week,  etc.     This  preliminary  drill,  extensive  and 
complicated  as  it  may  seem,  can  be  and  usually 
is  completed  in  60  hours,  usually  distributed  over 
a  period  of  about  a  month.    Three  or  four  squads 
are  always  kept  working  at  a  time,  each  on  a  dif- 
ferent thing,  and  the  average  daily  work  of  a  pri- 
vate does  not  exceed  i  hour.     The  men  have  an 
easy  time,  they  are  not  tired  out,  and  they  look 
forward  to  this  period  of  instruction. 

The  company  then  passes  to  the  regular  sea- 
son's course  on  the  range.  Preliminary  to  this, 
requisition  is  made  for  ammunition  and  clean- 
ing materials.  The  ammunition  is  placed  in  the 
store-room,  opened,  and  the  names  of  four  men 
placed  on  each  box.  Men  are  instructed  to  use 


2io       Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen. 

ammunition  from  their  own  box;  hence  they 
have  the  same  ammunition  and  their  elevations 
and  zeros  are  constant  throughout  all  their  shoot- 
ing. Quart  bottles  of  saturated  solution  of  sal- 
soda  and  water  are  given  to  each  corporal  for 
the  use  of  his  squad  in  cleaning  their  rifles,  but 
the  men  are  advised  that  their  chances  for  high 
qualification  are  better  ilf  they  will  purchase  the 
regular  metal  fouling  solution.  Enough  of  this 
solution  is  purchased  from  the  company  fund  to 
clean  all  the  rifles  in  the  company  just  before 
starting  record  practice.  Tables  of  sight-adjust- 
ment and  windage  are  made  on  strong  paper, 
and  placed  on  small  boards,  one  for  each  firing- 
point,  for  the  information  of  the  coach  and  men 
shooting  there.  Candles  are  provided  in  each 
squad  for  blackening  the  sights.  The  hand-cart 
takes  to  the  range  each  day  the  following  articles : 

Score-cards  in  box. 

Firing  Regulations. 

Pencils. 

Cleaning-rod. 

Gunny-sack  for  empty  shells. 

Camp-stools  for  officers,  first  sergeant,  and 
coaches. 

Two  pick-mattocks. 

Board  containing  the  Sight  and  Windage 
Tables. 


Suggestions  to   Military  Riflemen.       211 

Candle. 

Four  pairs  field-glasses. 

Canvas  sheets  (in  wet  weather  only). 
The  men  are  divided  into  three  sections  for 
shooting.  One  section  goes  to  the  range  at  the 
hour  of  commencing  shootilng  daily,  and  the  oth- 
ers follow  at  intervals  of  about  an  hour  and  a 
quarter.  Each  man  as  he  finishes  shooting  re- 
turns to  the  barracks  immediately  if  no  longer 
needed.  This  arrangement  is  made  so  that  no 
man  will  have  to  lie  around  in  the  hot  sun  for 
three  or  four  hours  before  shooting,  a  thing 
which  will  take  the  interest  and  life  out  of  any- 
one. The  daily  order  of  shooting  is  as  follows : 

1.  Extra  and  special  duty  men.     They  return 
to  their  work  immediately  after  firing,  carrying  a 
slip  showing  the  time  they  left  the  range,  15  min- 
utes being  added  to  the  time  to  enable  them  to 
clean  their  rifles  before  going  to  work. 

2.  Officers  and  coaches.     They  must  shoot  be- 
fo\re  their  eyes  and  nerves  are  tired  from  the 
instruction  of  the  other  men.     They  also  gain  a 
better  idea  of  weather  conditions,   which  helps 
them  in  their  subsequent  work. 

3.  The  three  sections   in  the  order  in  which 
they  arrive  on  the  range. 

4.  The  non-commissioned  officer  in  charge  of 
quarters,   cooks,   kitchen  polJce,   room  orderlies, 


212       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

etc.,  are  allowed  to  shoot  as  soon  as  they  arrive, 
and  immediately  return. 

Often  these  methods  cannot  be  carried  out,  ow- 
ing perhaps  to  firing  at  two  ranges  in  the  same 
day,  to  special  arrangements  for  skirmish  runs, 
to  instructions  from  higher  authority,  etc.  But 
they,  or  some  similar  arrangements,  are  great 
helps. 

The  men  are  required,  by  company  order,  to 
have  their  sights  blackened  and  adjusted  for  the 
estimated,  elevation  and  windage.  Before  get- 
ting into  position,  they  show  these  to  the  coach, 
who  verifies  them.  The  coach  instructs  the  men 
during  all  the  instruction  practice,  every  shot 
Toeing  pulled  under  his  personal  supervision. 
CoRchin^  'S  very  difficult  and  fatiguing  work, 
and  or>e  coach  would  soon  become  worn  out. 
Therefore  a  number  of  the  best  men  in  the  com- 
panv  are  selected  early  and  trained  as  coaches, 
so  that  there  may  be  at  least  three  available  for 
each  firing-point. 

A  coach  should  be  perfectly  familiar  with  all 
the  science  and  practice  of  rifle-shooting.  It  is 
desirable  also  that  he  be  a  good  shot  himself; 
otherwise  he  will  fail  to  gain  the  confidence  of 
many  men.  During  the  last  few  years,  coaching 
lias  approached  a  very  fine  point,  so  that  given 
men  who  can  hold  perfectly,  sight  correctly,  and 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       213 

pull  the  trigger  without  deranging  the  aim,  a 
competent  coach  should  be  able  to  cause  them  to 
make  the  scores  of  experts  even  if  they  know  lit- 
tle of  the  art  of  rifle-shooting.  However,  some- 
thing more  than  science  is  demanded  in  a  good 
coach.  He  must  understand  human  nature, 
must  know  his  men  and  be  able  to  judge  their 
characteristics  Coaching  should  take  the  form 
of  careful  advice  and  plainly  understood  direc- 
tions. The  coach  should  always  avoid  antagon- 
izing hk  men.  An  officer  who  is  feared  by  his 
men  will  never  succeed  as  a  coach.  There  are 
some  men  in  everv  companv  who  stand  in  so 
much  awe  of  their  officers  that  the  officers  can 
do  very  little  with  them.  It  is  better  to  turn  the 
coaching  of  such  men  over  to  an  experienced  pri- 
vate, and  to  rarely  speak  to  the  men  while  they 
are  at  the  fHng- point. 

The  coach  should  get  right  down  on  the 
•ground  alongside  his  man,  taking  care,  how- 
ever, not  to  shade  his  sights.  All  his  directions 
should  be  in  a  low  voice.  He  should  avoid  arbi- 
trary directions  and  should  be  careful  to  give 
the  reason  for  every  bit  of  advice  he  Drives,  for 
his  aim  is  not  only  to  cause  the  man  to  make  a 
good  score,  but  also  to  give  him  valuable  instruc- 
tion. He  shovH  cee  th^  the  man  calls  his  shots 
every  time,  and  calls  them  truthfully. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

Coaching  is  particularly  trying  work  on  the 
man  who  attempts  it,  especially  on  the  eyesight 
and  nervous  system.  The  coach  should  never 
attempt  to  watch  every  shot  marked.  Instead  he 
should  detail  a  man  for  a  few  scores  to  act  as 
a  spotter.  The  spotter  tells  the  coach  the  exact 
location  of  each  shot  as  it  is-  marked.  Fifty/ 
shots  is  enough  work  for  one  spotter,  and  he 
should  then  be  relieved  by  another  man,  or  there 
is  danger  of  eye-strain.  A  man  should  not  be  re- 
quired to  act  as  spotter  just  before  his  firing. 
Also  the  coach  should  make  himself  as  com- 
fortable as  possible  at  the  firing-point.  A  "Gold 
Medal"  folding  chair  is  very  comfortable  and 
convenient,  and  it  brings  one  down  near  the 
ground,  as  he  should  be  to  properly  attend  to 
his  man.  The  poor  shots  and  the  men  who  have 
a  tendency  to  flinch  should  always  receive  their 
instruction  from  the  best  coach  available.  Be- 
fore the  man  leaves  the  firing-point,  the  coach 
should  make  careful  memoranda  of  his  slight- 
adjustments  and  weather  conditions,  particularly 
wind,  each  coach  having  a  small  memorandum- 
book  for  this  purpose. 

At  200  yards,  both  slow  and  rapid  fire,  the 
coach  can  do  little  but  see  that  the  men  have 
their  sights  set  correctly,  that  they  assume  eood 
positions,  and  that  they  are  careful  about  pulling 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       215 

the  trigger.  At  300  yards  a  little  more  can  be 
attempted,  but  it  is  in  slow  fire  lying  down  that 
the  coach  gets  in  his  best  work.  He  must  here 
see  that  the  men  call  their  shots. and  quickly  get 
their  sights  so  adjusted  that  their  shots  hit  the 
point  called.  The  sights  must  be  moved  accurate- 
ly and  just  the  riight  amount,  the  coach  show- 
ing the  man  the  "Table  of  Sight- Adjustments," 
and  requiring  him  to  tell  him  the  correct  change- 
The  weather  conditions  must  be  watched  closely, 
any  change  seen  at  once,  and  the  man  explained 
what  change  is  necessary. 

Men  who  fail  to  make  their  qualification  as 
"Marksman"  will  almost  invariably  be  found  to 
have  failed  through  low  scores  at  skirmish.  This 
must  be  ever  kept  in  view  through  the  whole  of 
the  marksman's  course,  and  every  effort  made 
to  get  data  for  skirmish  elevations  and  zeros. 
It  has  been  found  of  the  greatest  advantage, 
after  instruction  practice  slow  fire  has  been  com- 
pleted, to  take  the  company  back  to  200  and  300 
yards  and  allow  them  to  carefully  target  their 
rifles  in  the  prone  position.  Before  instruction 
skirmish  runs  are  begun,  all  the  elevation  and 
windage  data  gathered  bv  the  coaches  should  be 
gone  over  and  the  elevatibns  and  zeros  for  each 
man  worked  out  and  given  to  him  on  a  card, 
thus: 


216       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

Skirmish  Data. 
Smith,  W.  J. 

Range.          Elevation.  Zero. 

600                 640  54  R 

5oo                 575  J4  R 

400                 500  o 

350                450  o 

300                JOG  o 

200  325  O 

This  card  is  pinned  to  the  m^n's  left  cuff  in 
such  a  manner  that  whenever  he  assumes  the  fir- 
ing position  during  the  skirmish  run  it  is  in  full 
view,  telling  him  exactly  how  to  set  his  sights. 
The  coach  who  is  takiner  the  skirmish  run  down 
previously  gives  instructions  ac  to  the  amount  of 
windage  to  use  at  each  range.  Extra  men  pro- 
vided with  target  diagrams  and  pencils  follow  the 
run  behind  the  skirmishers,  and,  watching  the 
target,  carefullv  note  on  the  diagram  where  the 
various  shots  struck,  as  indicated  by  the  dust. 
After  the  run,  the  man's  score  and  actual  hits  on 
the  tare^t  are  also  noted  on  this  Diagram,  and  it 
is  then  pinne^  to  the  skirmish  dat^i  card  and  the 
whole  turned  in  to  be  used  as  additional  data  in 
co^rniting  elevations  and  zeros  for  the  record 
skirmish  runs. 

In  record  practice,  coaching,  of  course,  is  not 
allowed.  The  most  experienced  coach  in  the 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       217 

company   inspects    each   man's    sight-adjustment 
before  he  goes  to  the  firing-point,  gives  him  the 
wind  allowance  and  any  other  advice  he  thinks 
necessary.     When   the   man   gets   to   the   firing- 
point,  he  finds  there  a  score-card  having  on  it 
the  value  of  elevation  and  windage  adjustments 
for  that  range,  taken  from  the  "Table  of  Sight- 
Adjustments/'     If  he  is  in  doubt  at  any  time,  he 
can  refer  to  this,  in  making  his  sight-corrections. 
Behind  each  firing-point  is  another  coach,  who 
sees  that  each  shot  is  marked  and  scored  correct- 
ly, and  looks  out  for  safety  precautions.    On  leav- 
ing the  firing-point,  the  man  gives  to  the  coach  at 
that  firing-point  his  sight-adjustments,  which  are 
recorded  and  used  as  additional  data  for  the  rec- 
ord skirmish  runs.    The  6oo-yard  slow-fire  record 
also  becomes  very  valuable  as  data  for  the  eleva- 
tions in  co!1ective  fire.     Every  effort  is  made  to 
work  o^t  absolutely   correct  elevations   for  the 
record  skirmish  runs,  using  all  the  elevation  rec- 
ords at  slow  fire,  both  instruction  and  record,  and 
also  the  records  of  the  instruction  skirmish  runs. 
The  same  principles  are  carried  out  through 
the   sharpshooter's   course.     At   long   range   the 
elevation    records   include   a   record   of   temper- 
ature.    All  men  takine  this  course  are  required 
to  use  a  sco^e-book.     Careful  record  is  made  of 
the  wind  and  wind  allowance  at  500  yards,  rapid 


21 8       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

fire.  Micrometers  are  available  for  such  men  as 
have  sufficient  education  to  use  them.  The  long-- 
range targets  are  marked  with  spotters.  Field- 
glasses  or  telescopes  are  provided  at  each  firing- 
point  and  the  men  are  taught  to  watch  the  mir- 
age. The  whole  practice  is  conducted,  as  it  were, 
like  a  post-graduate  course.  By  these  methods 
it  has  been  found  that  about  three-fourths  of  the 
marksmen  will  qualify  as  sharpshooters. 

The  principal  factors  having  to  do  with  gain- 
ing a  high  figure  of  merit  in  collective  fire  are 
clear,  well-trained,  and  loud  commands,  a  care- 
ful adjustment  of  all  sights  at  the  correct  ele- 
vations, and  a  close  observation  of  the  target 
with  powerful  field-glasses  during  the  firing.  At 
600  yard-s,  all  the  company  should  be  required  to 
set  their  sights  for  the  first  volley  at  their  reg- 
ular 6oo-yard  elevation  as  determined  in  the 
marksman's  course.  At  800  yards,  all  who  have 
fired  the  sharpshooter's  course  set  their  sights  at 
their  regular  8oo-yard  elevation.  The  remain- 
der of  the  company  use  an  elevation  just  200 
yards  above  their  regular  6oo-yard  elevation, 
and  likewise  at  1000  yards.  One  of  the  lieuten- 
ants carefully  observes  the  target  through  a  pow- 
erful field-glass  or  telescope  during  the  firing,  and 
it  depends  upon  his  observance  of  the  first  vol- 
ley at  each  range  whether  the  elevations  of  the 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       219 

sights,  for  the  succeeding  volleys  or  fire  at  will, 
shall  be  changed  or  not.  The  company  is  in- 
structed to  aim  at  the  lower  line  of  the  prone 
figures,  front  sight  just  touching  the  figures. 
The  right  squad  aim  a  little  to  the  right  of  the 
center  of  the  group,  and  the  left  squad  a  little  to 
the  left;  the  remainder  of  the  company  aim  at 
the  center.  If  possible,  a  day  should  be  selected 
when  the  ground  is  dry,  and  when  there  is  no 
mirage.  Allowance  should  be  made  for  wind  by 
requiring  each  man  to  set  his  sights  so  many 
points  right  or  left  of  his  zero. 

Prior  to  the  expert  rifleman's  test,  the  sharp- 
shooters who  are  to  take  the  test  are  given  as 
much  extra  practice  as  the  ammunition  allow- 
ance of  the  company  will  permit.  Timed  fire, 
long  range,  and  a  thorough  checking  of  skirm- 
insh  elevations  should  be  given.  On  the  day  of 
the  test  the  most  experienced  coach  of  the  com- 
pany should  be  present  to  give  the  men  advice  as 
to  their  elevations,  windage,  etc.,  just  prior  to 
firilng  at  each  range. 

Team  Practice. 

As  soon  as  the  team  is  selected,  the  team  cap- 
tain and  coach  should  organize  them  into  pairs 
and  arrange  the  order  of  their  shooting.  No  men 
should  be  paired  together  who  are  not  on  friend- 


22O       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

ly  terms.  The  best  men  at  coaching  and  wind 
judgment  should  be  paired  with  the  poorer  men. 
The  first  pair  to  shoot  should  be  selected  for  their 
good  judgment* as  to  elevation  and  wind  and 
their  ability  to  find  the  target  quickly.  If  they 
are  the  best  shots,  so  much  the  better,  as  in  a 
match  the  morale  of  the  team  depends  greatly  on 
getting  a  good  start.  The  last  pair  should  be 
old  seasoned  shots,  not  liable  to  get  excited. 
They  should  also  be  able  to  shoot  in  bad  lights, 
as  often  matches  have  been  prolonged  until  al- 
most dark.  Once  this  order  has  been  arranged, 
it  should  be  adhered  to  and  not  changed  except 
for  the  m^st  imnortant  reasons. 

When  the  practice  starts,  the  principal  duty  of 
the  coach  is  to  see  that  the  pairs  coach  one  an- 
other in  the  best  possible  way.  In  slow  fire, 
while  one  man  is  firing  his  partner  should  have 
his  eve  at  the  telescope,  watching  for  anv  change 
in  mirage  or  light,  and  trying,  when  the  shot 
is  fired,  to  catch  its  dust.  He  should  caution  his 
partner  not  to  fire  on  the  wrong  target  (many 
matches  have  been  lost  through  one  shot  on  the 
wrong  target),  and  he  must  check  him  should 
there  be  any  change  in  conditions.  Pair  coach- 
ine  reaches  its  greatest  development  during  a 
fish-tail  wind,  during  which  the  coacher  must  be 
constantly  watching  the  mirage  and  telling  his 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       221 

partner  to  aim  at  6,  5,  or  7  o'clock,  according  as 
the  mirage  drifts. 

In  rapid  or  timed  fire,  the  partner  not  firing 
should  be  provided  with  a  stop-watch,  and  should 
call  in  a  low  voice  to  his  partner  the  expiration 
of  each  five  seconds  of  time,  as  5,  10,  15,  etc. 

In  skirmish  fire,  should  anyone  notice  a  change 
in  wind  or  other  conditions,  he  should  at  once 
remark  on  it  in  a  loud  voice,  so  that  those  on 
either  side  of  him  can  hear  him. 

As  Foon  as  possible,  the  elevation  and  zeros 
of  all  the  rifles  must  be  accurately  learned,  and 
their  differences  noted,  so  that  one  pair  leaving 
the  firing-point  can.  give  to  the  next  pair  their 
exact  elevation  and  windage.  Thus  the  good 
shooting  will  be  continuous  and  no  shots  will 
be  lost  in  finding  correct  sight-adjustments.  To 
this  end,  when  a  pair  come  to  the  firing-point, 
thev  should  enter  in  their  score-books  the  ele- 
vation and  windage  of  the  pair  going  before 
them  and  should  make  their  calculations  from 
that,  takilng  care  that  there  has  been  no  change 
in  the  conditions  in  the  mean  time.  Keeping  a 
record  of  this  is  also  one  of  the  dutiles  of  the 
coach. 

At  skirmish,  other  thines  beine  correct,  a  small 
error  in  judging*  the  wind  will  ruin  a  team's 
score  and  their  chance  for  winning. 


222       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

An  excellent  way  of  teaching  a  team  to  cor- 
rectly estimate  the  wind  is  to  have  in  readiness 
every  day  on  the  range  several  rapi'd-fire  F  tar- 
gets. The  first  thing  each  man  should  do  when 
he  comes  to  the  range  is  to  estimate  the  condi- 
tions carefully,  set  his  sights,  lie  down,  and  fire 
-one  shot  at  thfe  target  at  600  yards.  This  shot, 
whether  it  hits  the  figure  or  not,  will  give  him 
his  data.  Having  the  6oo-yard  data,  the  wind- 
age for  the  whole  run  can  easily  be  figured. 

This  practice  takes  hardly  any  time,  and  by 
continuing  it  daily  there  will  gradually  develop 
in  the  team  three  or  four  men  who  estimate  the 
wind  so  closely  that  they  hit  the  figure  nearly 
every  time.  When  it  comes  to  actual  runs,  the 
combined  estimate  of  these  men  can  be  taken  for 
the  team,  and  I  should  say  that  nine  times  out  of 
ten  i't  will  be  found  to  be  the  correct  windage. 
By  the  way,  this  is  an  excellent  way  of  fouling 
the  pieces,  and  thus  getting  some  good  out  of  a 
few  cartridges  otherwise  wasted. 

The  guns  of  every  member  of  the  team  should 
be  zeroed  together,  so  that  when  one  man  gets  his 
correct  elevation  and  windage,  all  the  others  can 
set  their  sights  correctly  from  that  data. 

In  1907  the  skirmish  targets  at  the  National 
Match  were  set  a  foot  above  the  butt  and  against 
the  sky ;  therefore  no  dust  could  be  seen  to  show 


Suggestions   to  Military  Riflemen.       223 

where  the  shots  were  going.  Some  team  cap- 
tains had  one  man  of  the  team  drop  a  shot  or 
two  into  the  butt  below  the  target  at  600  yards,  to 
get  a  correct  line  on  the  wind.  The  captain, 
lying  behind  this  man  with  a  powerful  field-glass, 
caught  the  dust  thrown  up  by  the  shot,  and  gave 
the  wind  tp  the  rest  of  the  team,  shouting,  for 
instance,  "Hold  a  foot  to  the  right."  While 
perhaps  good  in  theory,  this  scheme  failed  to 
work  very  well  in  practice,  for  the  following 
reasons : 

The  man  firing  the  trial  shot  found  great  diffi- 
culty, while  aiming  so  low,  in  getting  his  sights 
aligned  exactly  under  the  center  of  the  figure. 

The  responsibilty  placed  upon  him  caused  him 
to  become  nervous',  and  he  was  liable  to  get  a 
bad  pull. 

The  team  captain  was  sometimes  unable  to  see 
the  dust,  particularly  when  the  ground  was  wet. 

The  information  came  to  the  other  members 
of  the  team  too  late  to  be  acted  on  with  accuracy. 

It  was  extremely  hard  for  the  men  on  the  ends 
of  the  line  to  hear  the  captain's  warning. 

For  these  reasons  I  believe  the  best  plan  is  to 
take  the  combined  estimate  of  the  best  wind 
"dopers"  of  the  team.  But  it  is  necessary  that 
these  men  have  speci'al  training  in  this,  as  out- 
lined above. 


224      Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

Skirmish  is  quick  work.  On  a  run,  something 
has  to  be  done  every  second  of  the  time.  It  is 
difficult,  indeed,  to  do  any  coaching  without  rat- 
tling the  men. 

Every  member  of  the  team  should  be  provided 
with  an  extra  rifle,  to  fall  back  upon  in  case 
anything  happens  to  his  regular  piece.  The  ele- 
vations and  zero  of  this  rifle  should  be  known 
accurately. 

During  practice  the  team  captain  should  pub- 
lish only  the  total  score  made  by  each  pair  at  a 
range,  and  the  total  team  score  at  skirmish. 
Each  man  knows,  of  course,  what  he  made  him- 
self. This  is  merely  a  precaution  to  be  taken 
in  encouraging  pair  coaching,  and  in  getting  the 
team  to  work  as  a  team,  abolishing  all  ideas  of 
individual  competition.  Nothing  can  hurt  a  team 
more  than  this  latter  condition.  When  each  man 
is  shooting  to  beat  his  neighbor,  the  morale  and 
esprit  de  corps  of  the  team  are  gone  and  the  team 
is  defeated  before  the  match.  Each  man  should 
shoot  to  make  the  highest  score  he  possibly  can, 
but,  above  all,  to  try  to  help  his  partner  and  the 
next  pair  to  make  higher  scores  still. 

All  these  remarks  pertain,  of  course,  to  pre- 
paring for  competitions  like  the  National  Match, 
where  coaching,  except  pair  coaching,  is  pro- 
hibited. In  matches  where  regular  coaching  is 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       225 

allowed,  the  procedure  does  not  differ  much. 
The  coach's  place  is  at  the  firing-point,  between 
the  two  men  firing.  No  shot  should  be  pulled 
unless  all  three  men  agree  as  to  conditions  an.d 
sight-adjustment. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE  RIFLEMAN  ON  THE  BATTLEFIELD. 

Rifle-firing  in  battle,  with  all  its  excitement, 
ignorance  of  exact  range,  unsteadiness  from  ex- 
ertion, noise,  confusion,  indistinctness  and  mo- 
tion of  the  target,  is  a  very  different  matter  in- 
deed from  range-firing.  At  the  same  time,  there 
is  no  doubt  that  target-shooting  properly  con- 
ducted is  an  excellent  preparation  for  firing  in 
action.  The  soldier  who  makes  hits  in  battle  is 
the  one  who  has  been  so  well  trained  on  the 
range  that  without  thought  he  never  fails  to  take 
aim  and  to  pull  the  trigger  carefully  without 
jerk.  There  are  many  conditions  which  con- 
front the  rifleman  on  the  battlefield  which  never 
occur  on  the  target  range,  and  I  have  thought  it 
well  to  consider  some  of  these  in  this  work. 

Firing  from  a  Rest. 

On  account  of  the  excitement  and  exertion,  it 
will  often  be  difficult  for  the  men  to  hold  their 

—226— 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       227 

rifles  with  any  degree  of  steadiness.  The  best 
way  to  overcome  the  trembling  is  to  rest  the 
rifle  on  some  stationary  object.  In  firing  from 
an  intrenchment,  it  will  also  usually  become  nec- 
essary to  fire  in  thils  manner.  A  rifle  shoots 
much  higher  when  fired  from  a  rest  than  when 
held  in  any  one  of  the  prescribed  positions.  This 
is  on  account  of  the  solid  rest  interfering  with 
the  flip  or  vibration  of  the  barrel.  Moreover,  a 
rifle  does  not  shoot  as  accurately  in  this  way 
(machine  rest  excepted)  as  ilt  does  when  held 
in  the  hands  of  the  man.  A  rifle  will  shoot  the 
highest  above  its  normal  elevation  when  the  bar- 
rel is  rested  on  the  object  just  back  of  the  muz- 
zle, and  the  difference  becomes  less  as  the  point 
of  rest  approaches  the  trigger-guard.  Solid  rests 
like  stone  cause  the  rifle  to  shoot  higher  than 
soft  rests  like  turf.  The  Krag  rifle  resting  on  a 
sand-bag  6  inches  from  the  muzzle  calls  for  a 
reduction  of  about  100  yards  in  the  range.  The 
same  point  of  rest  in  the  Model  1903  arm  calls 
for  about  a  2OO-yard  reduction.  A  safe  rule  is  to 
deduct  150  yards  from  the  range  with  the  1903 
rifle  if  fired  from  a  rest,  and  75  yards  with  the 
Krag.  Firing  from  a  rest  also  alters  the  zero  of 
the  rifle,  but  this  may,  of  course,  be  disregarded 
in  action,  as  we  are  only  desirous  of  exact  eleva- 
tion and  a  little  horizontal  dispersion  is  an  ad- 
vantage rather  than  otherwise. 


228       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

The  Bayonet. 

The  rifle  will  shoot  much  lower  when  the  bay- 
onet i!s  fixed ;  also  the  zero  is  very  much  changed. 
These  differences  are  quite  variable  for  different 
guns/,  and  will  have  to  be  determined  in  each 
case.  As  the  bayonet  is  only  fixed  at  close  quar- 
ters, and  as  the  character  of  fire  at  short  ranges 
is  almost  always  rapid  where  men  are  apt  to 
shoot  hi'gh,  the  causing  of  the  rifle  to  shoot  lower 
by  fixing  the  bayonet  works  to  our  advantage. 
This,  of  course,  applies  to  the  knife  bayonet. 
The  fixing  of  the  rod  bayonet  does  not  make 
much  difference  at  short  range.' 
The  Battle  Sight. 

When  the  opposing  lines  get  within  mid  range 
(600  yards)  of  each  other,  the  sights  will  usual- 
ly be  ordered  "laid  down"  and  the  battle  s%ht 
required  to  be  used.  The  battle  sight  is  correct 
f°r  53°  yards  range ;  hence  with  this  sight  at 
shorter  ranges  the  rifle  wi(ll  shoot  high,  and  at 
longer  ranges  low.  The  following  table  shows 
the  difference  in  aim  which  should  be  taken : 
At  100  yards  aim  about  13  inches  low. 

"    200  "  "  "      23         " 

"    300      "  "      27         " 

"  400    "  "     19      " 

"  500    "  "      6      " 

"  600     "  "         "     24       "      high. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       229 

The   Ammunition. 

The  ammunition  issued  to  the  soldier  in  time 
of  war  will  be  from  many  different  lots,  much  of 
it  being  manufactured  by  private  factories  on 
rush  orders,  and  it  will  not  be  as  reliable  as  that 
obtained  from  the  Government  arsenals  in  time 
of  peace.  This  was  the  experience  in  1898. 
Moreover,  one  never  gets  the  same  date  of  am- 
munition twice,  and  thus  he  can  never  tell  what 
his  exact  elevation  and  zero  will  be.  The  only 
thing  to  do  is  to  use  the  normal  elevations,  trust 
to  luck,  and  try  to  see  where  the  first  bullet 
strikes  by  watching  closely  for  the  dust. 

The  Sights. 

The  sights  must  be  guarded  with  great  care 
against  any  blows  which  might  throw  them  out 
of  alignment.  It  will  be  impossible  to  keep  them 
blackened,  nor  is  this  desirable  when  firing  at 
khaki-clad  targets  in  all  sorts  of  cover  and  with 
all  colors  of  background.  Bright  sights  are, 
however,  just  as  much  of  a  disadvantage  as  on 
the  target  range.  It  will  be  an  advantage  to 
cany  in  one's  pocket  (not  near  rations,  for  it  is 
poisonous)  a  lump  of  blue  vitriol  (sulphate  of 
copper,  or  blue-stone,  used  in  telegraph  batter- 
ies). By  moistening  this  and  rubbing  it  on  the 


230       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

front  sight,  the  sight  will  become  lightly  plated 
with  copper  and  will  then  slow  up  very  plainly 
on  objects  in  the  field  without  any  glistening. 
The  application  of  a  little  heat  will  turn  the  cop- 
per-plated sight  back  to  a  dead  black. 

Firing  Up  and  Down  Slopes. 
When  calculating  elevations  for  an  object 
which  is  either  up-  or  down-hill,  usfe  only  the 
base  of  the  triangle,  or  the  horizontal  distance 
between  the  rifleman  and  the  object,  and  not  the 
actual  distance  on  the  ground.  The  tendency 
in  firing  down-hill  is  to  overshoot,  due  to  too 
great  an  estimation  of  the  distance  and  the  fact 
that  in  looking  down  one  sees  and  aimsi  at  the 
top  of  the  object,  and  therefore  is  very  liable  to 
fire  over.  It  is  a  good  rule,  in  firing  down-hill, 
never  to  use  any  elevation  for  distances  less  than 
500  yards.  In  firing  up  or  down  cliffs)  or  at  an 
enemy  on  a  house-top,  the  angle  being  very 
great,  place  the  rear  sight  as  low  as  possible  and 
hold  low,  or  the  rifle  will  overshoot. 

Firing  at  Objects  in  Motion. 

While  the  velocity  of  modern  arms  is  extreme- 
ly swift,  yet  some  lead  or  allowance  is  necessary 
at  all  but  the  shortest  flanges.  The  aim  must 
be  taken  at  the  estimated  number  of  feet  in  front 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       231 

of  the  object  that  the  object  would  travel  during 
the  time  it  takes  the  bullet  to  travel  the  distance. 
Let  us  take  an  example  :  An  officer  of  the  enemy 
ils  running  from  one  bit  of  cover  to  another,  di- 
rection of  motion  at  right  angles  to  the  line  ot 
fire.  Range  500  yards.  At  a  run  the  officer  will 
probably  cover  about  20  feet  per  second.  The 
time  of  flight  of  the  Model  1903  riifle  at  500 
yards  is  .709  second.  Therefore  the  lead  nec- 
essary is  about  14  feet.  Aim  quite  a  little  in 
front  of  the  officer  and  on  the  same  horizontal 
line.  Try  to  get  the  gun  off  the  ins/tant  he 
crosses  a  liine  14  feet  from  your  line  of  sight. 
If  the  man  were  moving  obliquely  at  an  angle 
of  45  degrees,  only  one-half  the  above  lead  would 
be  necessary. 

If  the  enemy  is  moving  toward  one,  he  should 
aim  at  the  feet  of  the  enemy,  and  if  the  enemy 
is  retreating,  he  should  aim  at  the  shoulders. 

A  man  in  quick  time  covers  5  feet  per  second ; 
in  double  time,  9  feet  per  second;  running,  20 
feet  per  second. 

A  horse  at  a  walk  covers  5  feet  per  second ;  at 
a  trot,  15  feet  per  second;  at  a  gallop,  25  feet  per 
second ;  at  top  speed,  46  feet  per  second. 

In  this  work  one  must  be  very  careful  not  to 
overestimate  the  lead,  as  there  is  a  tendency  to 
do  so,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to  estimate  feet 
when  looking  over  the  sights'. 


232       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

Importance  of  the  Direction  of  the  Sun. 

If  one  can  get  the  sun  over  his  own  back  and 
shining  in  the  eyes  of  the  enemy,  he  has  attained 
a  great  advantage  which  increases  the  nearer  the 
sun  approaches  to  the  horir/on.  Tf  will  be  almost 
impossible  for  him  to  be  sighted  upon  with  the 
sun  near  the  horizon  and  back  of  him  unless  he 
outlines  himself  against  the  sky-line,  while  he 
can  see  and  sight  on  the  enemy  with  great  clear- 
ness. If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  sun  is  in  one's 
eyes  and  at  the  enemy's  back,  he  should  seek  par- 
ticularly good  cover  under  the  shade  of  trees, 
if  possible.  It  is  a  great  advantage  under  these 
circumstances  to  rig  up  sun-shades  for  the  sights. 
These  can  be  easily  and  quickly  made  by  using 
the  small  pasteboard  boxes  which  will  be  found 
in  each  pocket  of  the  bandoleer.  Pull  out  the 
ends  and  partitions  and  slip  them  as  shades  over 
the  sights.  Under  these  conditions,  sights  which 
do  not  blur  are  worth  their  weight  in  gold.  It 
is  the  writer's  opinion  that  the  direction  of  the 
sun  in  running  attacks  is  not  taken  enough  into 
consideration. 

Judging  the  Wind. 

Unlike  firing  on  the  range,  there  are  no  flags 
to  give  the  force  and  direction  of  the  wind. 
Howeve**  ^ira^e  is  often  present,  and  we  also 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       233 

can,  judge  the  wind  from  the  smoke-puffs,  the 
waving-  of  the  grass  and  trees,  the  flight  of  in- 
jects, the  feel  of  the  wind  on  the  face,  and  the 
way  in  which  a  few  blades  of  grass  thrown 
straight  up  in  the  air  are  blown  away  from  the 
person.  Horizontal  errors  caused  by  wind  and 
other  components  do  not  figure  much  in  battle, 
where  errors  of  this  kind  give  a  dispersion  of 
the  shots  that  is  very  much  to  be  desired.  They 
do  figure  considerably,  however,  when  one  has 
a  chance  to  fire  on  a  leader  of  the  enemy. 

Finding  the  Range. 

The  methods  of  estimating  distance  given  in 
Small-Arms  Firing  Regulations,  together  with 
trial  shots,  must  of  necessity  constitute  the  only 
method  for  the  individual  rifleman  to  determine 
the  range  until  such  time  as  a  satisfactory  range- 
finder  is  invented.  It  is  often  better,  in  firing 
trial  shots,  to  aim  at  some  bare  spot,  where  the 
dust  kicked  up  by  the  bullet  can  be  seen,  than 
directly  at  the  enemy.  To  see  the  dust  at  long 
range,  a  pair  of  field-glasses  are  needed.  If  a 
companion  is  not  at  hand  to  observe  the  shot, 
the  glasses  should  be  placed  on  an  extemporized 
mount,  just  to  the  right  of  the  right  eye  in  the 
aiming  position,  and  should  be  focused  and  set 
on  the  spot  aimed  at.  It  is  then  easy,  immedi- 


234      Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

ately  after  firing  the  shot,  to  dart  the  head  to 
the  right  so  that  the  right  eye  looks  through  the 
glasses.  At  1000  yards  and  over,  this  can  be 
done  quickly  enough  to  catch  the  dust  of  the 
shot. 

In  finding  the  range  for  the  company  in  action 
the  following  method  is  suggested:  The  com- 
pany is  presumed  to  be  about  to  open  the  first 
fire  in  the  attack,  defense,  or  fire  of  position. 
The  company  being  in  line  of  skirmishers  at  a 
halt,  the  captain  orders  the  expert  riflemen  to  the 
rigfht  and  left  flanksj  and  gives  the  command, 
"Find  the  Range."  The  expert  riflemen,  pro- 
vided with  field-glasses  or  telescope  slights,  set- 
tle down  in  pairs  on  either  flank  and  endeavor 
by  trial  shots  to  find  the  range.  The  first  lieti- 
tenant,  taking  command  of  the  remainder  of  the 
company,  endeavors!  to  find  the  range  by  trial 
volleys.  The  second  lieutenant  and  the  two 
musicians  proceed  to  determine  the  range  with 
the  Weldon  range-finder.  When  each  party  is 
satisfied  that  they  have  determined  the  range, 
they  notify  the  captain  what  it  is.  The  captain 
stopsi  the  work  when  he  is  satisfied  that  he  has 
the  true  range. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


THE  EYES. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  rifle-shooting  i's  a  ter- 
rific strain  on  the  eyes.  We  use  our  eyes  to  aim 
the  rifle,  to  see  the  target  marked,  to  catch  the 
dust  where  the  bullet  strikes,  to  judge  the  mir- 
age, and  to  watch  the  flags  and  light;  and  from 
all  this  long-distance  work  we  must  jump  quick- 
ly to  the  delicate  adjustment  of  the  sights  and 
entries  in  the  score-book.  It  well  behooves  even 
those  with  good  strong  eyes  to  take  extra  care  of 
them  during  the*  target  season.  The  eyes  should 
never  be  used  any  more  than  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  then  never  for  long-continued  intervals. 
The  judging  of  mi'rage  with  the  telescope  is  a 
severe  strain.  For  this  work  it  is  best  to  use  the 
left  eye,  so  as  to  save  the  right  for  the  strain  of 
aiming.  Dark  smoke-colored  goggles  are  excel- 
lent to  rest  the  eyes  from  the  intense  light  often 
present  on  the  range,  but  they  should  never  be 
used  in  shooting.  These  are  better  than  green 
or  blue,  because  they  are  less  opaque  and  there 
is  less  loss  of  color  in  objects  seen  through  them. 

—235— 


236       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

After  a  trying  day  on  the  range,  the  eyes  should 
be  bathed  in  cold  water,  or,  if  any  inflammation 
be  present,  in  very  hot  water  in  whiten  boracic 
acid  has  been  dissolved. 

Perfect  vision  is  the  greatest  necessity  to  rifle- 
men. If  one's  eyes  are  not  normal,  then  they 
must  be  aided  by  glasses  to  attain  perfect  vis- 
ion. Refractive  errors  in  the  eyes  are  of  three 
kinds  :  far-sightedness,  near-sightedness,  and  as- 
tigmatism. The  fitting  of  glasses  should  never 
be  trusted  to  anyone  but  a  skilled  oculist.  This 
should  be  impressed  on  all  riflemen  with  imper- 
fect vision.  Glasses  selected  promiscuously  sim- 
ply because  they  seem  to  give  one  perfect  vision 
are  very  liable  to  ruin  the  eyes  permanently  in 
one  target  season  by  reason  of  the  great  strain 
from  ill-fitting  and  wrong  refraction ;  whereas 
in  the  ordinary  work  of  every-day  life  trouble 
might  not  be  noticed  wifth  them  in  five  years. 
The  glasses  used  should  be  very  large,  so  that 
one  in  aiming-  will  not  see  abound  their  rims. 
Gold,  silver,  or  aluminum  frames  should  be  used, 
as  they  wijll  not  rust.  Ordinary  lenses  have  only 
the  full  correction  in  the  center,  but  the  rifleman 
always  aims  through  the  extreme  upper  left- 
hand  corner  of  his  right-eye  lens.  For  this  rea- 
son, shooting  spectacles  should  always  be  of  the 
toric  or  meniscus  type,  in  which  the  line  of  sight 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       237 

in  aiming  passes  through  the  lens  perpendicular 
to  its  surface.  These  lenses  have  the  full  cor- 
rection to  their  very  edges,  and  if  the  glasses 
be  well  fitted,  there  is  no  strain,  as  thene  un- 
doubtedly is  in  using  the  ordinary  lenses.  It 
is  a  great  advantage  to  some  men  to  have  the 
glasses  just  a  little  smoke-  or  amber-tinted,  as 
this  will  take  the  glare  out  of  the  eyes,  prevent 
them  getting  tired,  and  even  seems  to  aid  the 
vision. 

Most  oculists,  i'n  prescribing  glasses  for  far- 
and  near-sightedness,  will  give  those  which  have 
not  quite  the  corrective  powers  necessary  to  give 
absolutely  perfect  vision,  in  order  that  the  eyes 
may  have  a  little  leeway  to  work  for  their  own 
good.  While  this  is  correct  for  glasses  for  ordi- 
nary wear,  the  shooting  glasses  should  always 
have  the  full  correction  to  give  normal  eyesight, 
as  without  this  there  will  surely  be  strain. 

It  is  an  advantage,  if  one  can  do  so,  to  shoot 
with  both  eyes  open,  as  it  causes  less  strain. 
Sometimes  a  man  will  be  found  whose  eyes  are 
in  such  condition  that  it  is  impossible  to  get  per- 
fect vision  for  him  with  the  aid  of  any  kind  of 
glasses.  The  only  hope  for  such  a  man  is  the 
telescope  sight.  Many  experts  have  unusual  vis- 
ion. Some  can  see  the  spotting  disks  on  the 


238       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

looo-yard  target  with  the  naked  eye  alone.  I 
have  also  in  mind  the  case  of  a  man  who  could 
see  the  bullets  "splash"  on  the  steel  target  at 
600  yards.  Such  men,  of  course,  have  a  great 
advantage  over  men  with  ordinary  eyes. 


APPENDIX. 


THE;  U.  S.  MAGAZINE  RIFI^,  CAUBSR  .30, 

MODEX  1898. 
(Krag-Jorgensen.) 

The  Model  1903  rifle  has  superseded  this 
arm  in  the  hands  of  the  Regular  Army  and 
National  Guard,  but  it  still  remains  the  arm  of 
the  Navy,  the  Marine  Corps,  the  Philippine  Con- 
stabulary, and  of  many  military  schools  and  col- 
leges. It  has  therefore  been  thought  best  to  give 
the  following  data  regarding  this  rifle,  by  the 
aid  of  which  all  the  foregoing  information  may 
be  of  use  if  one  uses  the  Krag. 

TABLE)  OF  SIGHT-ADJUSTMENTS. 


Range. 


Yards. 


Value  on  the 

Target  of  a 

change  of  25 

yards  in 

Elevation. 


Inches. 


Value  on  the 

Target  of  a 

change  of  1 

point   in 

Windage. 

Model  1901 

Bear 

Sight. 

Inches. 


Value  on  the 
Target  of  a 
change  of  1 

point  in 

Windage. 

Model  1898, 

1902  &  1903 

Sights. 

Inches. 


20O 

3 

12 

8 

300 

5 

18 

12 

500 

i? 

30 

20 

6OO 

22 

36 

24 

800 

35 

48 

32 

900 

41 

54 

36 

IOOO 

50 

60 

40 

—239— 


240       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 


OF  RISES  IN  ELEVATION  ON  THE 
MICROMETER. 


For  ammunition  manufactured  at  the  Frank- 
ford  Arsenal  subsequent  to  1903,  having  a  220- 
grain,  smooth  bullet,  and  giving  an  instrumental 
velocity,  measured  at  53  feet  from  the  muzzle,  of 
about  1960  feet. 

From   200  to  300  yards  rise  &  with  micrometer, 


3oo 

1   350 

" 

'* 

3' 

99 

350 

99   400 

99 

99 

4' 

99 

400 

"    500 

99 

t) 

##? 

t) 

500 

'    600 

99 

99 

9'    " 

99 

6oo 

'   800 

99 

99 

21'     " 

" 

800 

'   900 

99 

99 

12'     " 

99 

900 

"  IOOO 

99 

99 

13'      " 

99 

Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       241 


WIND  CHART   TOR  THE    KRA&    RIFLE. 
3oni<)  «'cUtk  v^Ini..    Moa«l  lid   Sl,kt. 


242       Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

Changes  in  thermometer,  barometer,  and  hy- 
grometer have  the  same  effect  and  require  the 
same  micrometer  changes  on  the  Model  1898 
rifle  as  on  the  Model  1903  rifle. 

The  private  ammunition  companies  are  now 
making  ammunition  loaded  with  a  sharp-pointed 
bullet,  which  is  more  accurate  than  the  old  form 
of  bullet.  This  ammunition  requires  lower  ele- 
vation on  the  sights,  and  about  half  the  allow- 
ance for  wind  that  is  required  for  the  old  bullet. 

Micrometers  for  the  Model  1898  rifle  can  be 
had  from  the  J.  Stevens  Arms  and  Tool  Com- 
pany, Chicopee  Falls,  Mass.,  and  from  Thomas 
J.  Conroy,  28  John  Street,  New  York  city. 

The  Ideal  Handbook  gives  many  excellent 
mid-  and  short-range  loads  for  this  rifle. 

The  best  treatise  on  this  rifle  is  "Modern  Rifle- 
Shooting,"  by  Dr.  W.  G.  Hudson,  procurable 
from  Rifle  Smokeless  Division,  E.  I.  Du  Pont  de 
Nemours  Powder  Co.,  Wilmington,  Del. 

U.  S.  MAGAZINE  CARBINE,  CAL.  .30,  MODEL  1899. 

(  Krag- Jorgensen   Carbine. ) 
Formerly  the  arm  of  the  cavalry  of  the  Reg- 
ular Army  and  National  Guard.     Now  used  by 
the  Philippine  Constabulary  and  some  military 
schools  and  colleges. 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       243 


TABLE  OF  RISES  IN  ELEVATION  WITH 
MICROMETER. 

Frankford  Arsenal  ammunition,  22O-grain  bul- 
let;   velocity,  1880  feet. 
From  200  to  300  yards   rise  4.9'  with  micrometer. 

"  300  "  350   "    "  2.7'  " 

"  350  "  400   "    "  2.9'  " 

"  400  "  500  "   "  6.6'  " 

"  500  "  600  "   "  7.7'  " 

One  minute  of  elevation  with  the  micrometer 
will  move  the  shot  1.43  inches  for  every  100 
yards  of  range,  or  practically  ij^  inches. 

One  point  of  windage  moves  the  bullet  8.66 
inches  on  the  target  for  every  100  yards  of 
range. 

The  carbine  uses!  the  same  ammunition  as  the 
rifle,  but  the  velocity  is  80  feet  less,  due  to  the 
•shorter  barrel. 

METHOD  OF  CLEANING  SHEU.S. 

The  following  method  of  cleanilng  shells,  de- 
mised by  Dr.  W.  G.  Hudson,  I  have  used  for  a 
number  of  years  with  pefect  results  : 

Two  solutions  are  prepared  and  kept  in  tele- 
graph battery  jars,  and  used  over  and  over  agaiin 
until  exhausted.  No.  i  Solution  contains  2  quarts 
of  water,  4  fluid  ounces  of  sulphuric  acid,  and 
4  ounces  of  potassium  bichromate.  No.  2  Solu- 


244      Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen. 

tion  consists  of  Y*  pound  of  potassium  cyanide 
in  2  quarts  of  water. 

The  shells  are  first  thoroughly  rinsed  in  hot 
water,  then  dipped  in  No.  i  for  not  more  than  5 
seconds,  then  rinsed  thoroughly  in  water,  pre- 
ferably Tunning  water,  then  in  No.  2  for  a  few 
seconds,  and  finally  in  water  again.  It  may  take 
two  or  three  dips  before  the  shells  are  absolutely 
clean.  It  is  important  that  they  be  thoroughly 
rinsed  In  water  between  each  application  of  the 
fluids.  Finally  they  should  be  boiled  in  clean 
water  for  five  minutes  or  more,  then  qufckly 
shaken  dry  and  placed  ib  a  warm  place  above  a 
stove  to  dry.  This  warm  place  should  not  be 
hot  enough  to  anneal  them.  The  reason  for 
boiling  is  to  get  the  shells  so  hot  that  they  will 
dry  of  their  own  heat.  If  they  take  more  than 
about  20  minutes  in  drying,  they  are  apt  to 
corrode.  This  process  leaves  them  cleaner  inside 
and  out  than  new  shells.  The  process  is  greatly 
facilitated  by  using  a  home-made  wire  basket  in 
which  to  place  the  shells  muzzle  down  while 
dipping.  Both  solutions  are  poisonous,  and  if 
mixed,  will  not  only  be  spoiled,  but  will  evolve 
poisonous  fumes. 

THE  NATIONAL  RIFXE  ASSOCIATION. 


The   National   Rifle   Association   ot   America 


Suggestions  to  Military  Riflemen.       245 

was  organised  in  1871.  The  objects  of  the  As- 
sociation are :  "To  encourage  marksmanship 
throughout  the  United  States,  particularly  in  the 
direction  of  qualifying  as  finished  marksmen 
those  individuals  who  may  be  called  upon  to 
serve  in  time  of  war;  to  encourage  competition 
in  marksmanship  between  teams  and  individuals ; 
to  encourage  legislation  for  the  establishment 
and  maintenance  of  ranges ;  to  secure  the  issue 
of  military  rifles  and  ammunition  to  those  prac- 
ticing thereat;  and  to  create  a  public  sentiment 
in  respect  to  the  necessity  of  rifle  practice  as  a 
means  of  national  defense." 

The  Association  has<  done  inestimable  good  in 
furthering  rifle  practice.  It  holds  the  largest  and 
most  jmporftant  competitions  in  the  country  each 
year  in  conjunction  with  the  Natibnal  Matches. 
Every  patriotic  citizen,  and  especially  every  rifle- 
man, should  be  a  member.  Life  membership 
costs  $25.00.  For  information,  address  Lieuten- 
ant A.  S.  Jones,  Secretary,  National  Rifle  Asso- 
ciation, Hibbs  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 

The  official  organ  of  the  National  Rifle  Asso- 
ciation Is  the  weekly  paper,  Arms  and  the  Man, 
published  at  1502  "H"  Street,  N.  W.,  Washing- 
ton,  D.  C.  The  subscription  price  is  $3.00  a 
year.  This  paper  is  also  the  authority  on  rifle- 
shooting  in  the  United  States. 


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